PASCO 2024 Annual Meeting Successfully Held
On Sunday, 22 December 2024, the PASCO 2024 Annual Meeting was held in a grand ceremony at the Chinese Culture and Art Centre in Vienna. Themed around academic exchange and friendly fellowship, the event drew many experts and scholars based in Austria, as well as outstanding representatives of the Chinese community, who gathered to discuss the latest academic advances and the possibilities for future cooperation.
The annual meeting officially began in the afternoon and was co-hosted by Dr. Han Ying and Dr. Hu Hongtao. It opened with a brief and powerful welcoming address.
Mr. Wang Zhongcheng, Science and Technology Counsellor of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Austria, attended the meeting in person. He emphasised that scientific and technological cooperation is an important part of China-Austria relations, and encouraged more Chinese and Austrian enterprises and research institutions to strengthen their cooperation and jointly advance technological progress and sustainable development.
At the meeting, Dr. Jiang Dafa, head of the European R&D Centre of CRRC Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co., Ltd., delivered an address. Jiang Dafa stated that China-Austria cooperation in the field of rail transit technology had yielded fruitful results, and expressed the hope of further deepening exchange and innovation.
Subsequently, President Jin Shengli gave a comprehensive summary of the association’s work in 2024 and presented the main activity plans for the coming year. The association’s financial officer, Dr. Wang Hong, then reported on the association’s financial situation, providing clear financial transparency for all members.
The academic exchange was one of the highlights of this annual meeting. Four scholars from the fields of medicine, pharmacy and artificial intelligence delivered brilliant keynote presentations. Dr. Liang Qian opened with the talk “Remedy or poison – who is to blame for drug addiction?”, in which she explored the mechanisms of drug dependence and addiction, sparking a lively discussion among the audience.
Dr. Xue Song’s presentation titled “Application of generative AI in nuclear medicine” focused on innovative research combining artificial intelligence with medical imaging, prompting attendees to reflect deeply on the future of technology.
Under the title “From the macroscopic surface to three-dimensional cellular imaging – the development of medical endoscopy technology”, Professor Li Qian explained in detail the application of the latest imaging technology in medical diagnosis.
Dr. Ning Jing’s “Machine learning-based multi-omics research on prostate cancer” demonstrated the broad prospects of machine learning in precision medicine, bringing the academic presentations of the annual meeting to a successful close.
During the exchange and discussion, participants exchanged in-depth views on their respective research fields and the content of the presentations, embodying the spirit that science knows no borders and that cooperation means advancing together.
A major highlight of the annual meeting was the presentation of the PASCO medal, awarded to thank members for their help and selfless dedication in supporting the various public-benefit events held by the association, and to encourage everyone to take an active part in the association’s diverse activities.
After the annual meeting concluded, the association had prepared a sumptuous dinner especially for the participants, offering a relaxed setting in which to continue their exchange and build friendships. The delicious food and joyful atmosphere filled the entire event with warmth and vitality.
The successful holding of this annual meeting not only promoted exchange among members and showcased PASCO’s role as a bridge in fostering the integration of science, technology and culture between China and Austria, but also strengthened exchange between PASCO and other fellow associations.
Photos and text: Dong Yu
