On January 13, the Symposium on China‑Africa Academy‑Member‑led Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation was successfully convened at the Zhongke Building in Beijing. More than 40 participants attended the event, including nine academicians from China and Africa, a host of distinguished experts, representatives of national, Beijing municipal and Zhongguancun authorities for talent and science‑technology affairs, as well as heads of universities, research institutes and high‑tech enterprises. Co‑hosted by the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) and the Beijing Global Talent Exchange Promotion Association, the symposium was undertaken by the AAS Asia Regional Office and the AAS China Centre.

At the symposium, expert representatives including Felix Dapare Dakora, President of the African Academy of Sciences and Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Jia Yinsuo, AAS Academician, Director of the AAS Asia Regional Office and Chairman of the AAS China Centre; Yang Huanming, Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Co‑founder of BGI and the Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Kang Le, Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and President of Hebei University; Li Fengting, AAS Academician, Professor at the College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University and Director of the UNEP‑Tongji Institute of Environment for Sustainable Development; Shen Jianbo, AAS Academician and Professor at China Agricultural University; Wang Tianyu, AAS Academician and Senior Chief Scientist of the Innovation Team for Exploration, Innovation and Utilization of Excellent Maize Germplasm Resources at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences; Jin Shuanggen, AAS Academician and Vice‑President for Academic Affairs at Henan Polytechnic University; Professor Tian Kegong, Director of the National Research Center for Veterinary Medicine Engineering and Technology; and Researcher Hou Feng, Chairman of China Water Environment Group, shared plans and prospects for China‑Africa cooperation within their respective fields, put forward valuable suggestions and engaged in in‑depth discussions.

Academician Dakora, President of the African Academy of Sciences, commented that the symposium featured high‑calibre speakers, substantial content and thorough exchanges. It offers solid guidance, targeted insights and practical solutions for advancing China‑Africa talent exchanges, science‑technology innovation cooperation and industrial project implementation in the post‑pandemic era. The AAS China Centre, an international platform for science‑technology innovation jointly built with the Beijing Global Talent Exchange Promotion Association, together with high‑level events such as this academician‑level symposium, will draw more professional institutions into China‑Africa collaboration. It will provide talent and intellectual support for advancing the Belt and Road Initiative and building a China‑Africa community with a shared future for the new era.

On the same morning, the African Academy of Sciences and the Beijing Global Talent Exchange Promotion Association held an inauguration ceremony for the AAS China Centre and a certificate‑awarding ceremony for newly‑elected AAS academicians. The AAS and its China Centre signed cooperation agreements with high‑tech enterprises including China Water Environment Group and Pulike Biological Engineering for key projects covering advanced sewage‑treatment technologies, veterinary medicine and animal‑health technologies, farmland ecological health and food security. Cooperation contracts were also concluded with higher‑education institutions and research bodies such as Hebei Agricultural University.

Participants also held a celebration to honour President Dakora for receiving the 2022 Chinese Government Friendship Award. Over recent years, Dakora has visited China more than 20 times and made remarkable contributions to fostering China‑Africa talent and science‑technology exchanges.

The African Academy of Sciences (AAS) is a pan‑African organisation headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, covering all 54 African countries. Its mission is to drive Africa’s sustainable development through science, technology and innovation. As Africa’s premier academic institution, the AAS is committed to elevating and deepening science and technology across the continent, applying extremely rigorous standards in reviewing and selecting academicians.

The Beijing Global Talent Exchange Promotion Association is a 4A‑grade social organisation rooted in the Zhongguancun Science City, specialising in international talent and technical exchange and cooperation. It has established partnerships with over 200 foreign scientific organisations, talent‑oriented science‑and‑innovation institutions and overseas outstanding student associations. It has organised flagship initiatives including the Programme for Foreign Academicians and Senior Experts in China and the Juying Forum & Global Talent Summit, building a global network for talent exchange and science‑technology innovation collaboration. It has delivered tangible outcomes in matchmaking Chinese and foreign experts, facilitating the commercialisation of scientific and technological achievements and promoting mutual learning among civilisations. On 27 December 2022, it was granted Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).