On November 17, 2015, NSFC Vice President Liu Congqiang and Ms. Ettore Francesco Sequi, Italian Ambassador to China, signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy (MAECI). The MoU was signed on the opening ceremony of the 6^th China-Italy Innovation & Cooperation Week jointly held by the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology and the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research. The Chinese Minister of Science and Technology Mr. Wan Gang and the Italian Minister of Education, University and Research Ms. Stefania Giannini witnessed the signing of the MoU.

The MoU paves the way for NSFC and MAECI to jointly support exchange programs, bilateral workshops and collaborative researches between the Chinese and Italian researchers. It will offer new opportunities for researchers of both countries to advance their collaborations. The new MoU fills the gap in NSFC’s collaboration with Italy and marks an important step in NSFC’s collaboration with Europe.

After the signing ceremony, Vice President Liu Congqiang exchanged views with Minister Giannini on how to promote the communication and collaboration in basic research between the Chinese and Italian researchers under the new MoU.