The 16th Meeting of Heads of Research Councils in Asia (A-HORCs) was held in Nagoya, Japan on September 19th-20th, 2018. Prof. Xie Xincheng, Vice President of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Prof. Susumu Satomi, President of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and Prof. Jung-Hye Roe, President of the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) headed their respective delegations to attend the Meeting.

With the theme of Challenges and Policies for Basic Research, the three parties presented on relevant measures taken for basic research funding, and had extensive discussion on related topics. The three parties also discussed and reached consensus about the cooperation field of the 2019 Northeastern Asian Symposium and A3 Foresight Program, as well as the theme, time and place for the 17th A-HORCs.

Originally established jointly by NSFC, JSPS and NRF, the A-HORCs meeting has become a regional one which takes place in China, Japan and Korea in turn once a year. The goal of the meeting is to provide a platform for the leaders of the three funding agencies to meet regularly and discuss on subjects of common interests with a view to strengthening high-level exchanges and collaboration in the field of basic research.

To promote Asia as a research center with worldwide influence, culture prominent talents and solve science-related problems of regional importance, NSFC, JSPS and NRF jointly established A3 Foresight Program at the 2nd A-HORCs meeting, through which to provide fund for the three countries’ scientists to conduct collaborative research in selected areas. Since the implementation of A3 Foresight Program started in 2005, the three parties in succession have co-funded 24 projects in the field of nanotechnology, biotechnology, climate change and so on,  which have achieved fruitful results from regional cooperation.

Accompanying Vice President Xie Xincheng were Deputy Director General Yu Sheng from the Bureau of Policy and Rong Nianhe from the Bureau of International Cooperation.