The First "Huairou Forum"

Life Health and Biomedical Imaging

On the morning of October 9th, at 9:00 AM, the inaugural "Huairou Forum," jointly organized by Peking University, the People's Government of Huairou District, Beijing, and the Management Committee of Beijing Huairou Science City, opened at the Yanqi Lake View Hotel in Huairou District. The event was attended by prominent leaders, including Qiu Shuiping, Party Secretary of Peking University; Academician Gao Fu, Director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Vice Chairman of the National Natural Science Foundation of China; Academician Li Peng, Director of the Life Sciences Division of the National Natural Science Foundation of China; Academician Zhang Xuemin, Director of the Medical Sciences Division of the National Natural Science Foundation of China; Zhang Guohui, Deputy Director of the Department of Science, Technology, and Information of the Ministry of Education; Liu Yuhui, Deputy Secretary of the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China and Director of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission; Guo Yanhong, Secretary of the Huairou District Committee and Secretary of the Party Working Committee of Huairou Science City; and Yu Qingfeng, Deputy Secretary of the Huairou District Committee, District Mayor, and Deputy Secretary of the Party Working Committee of Huairou Science City. The opening ceremony was presided over by Academician Qiao Jie, Vice Chairman of the China Association for Science and Technology; and Executive Vice President and Dean of the Medical School at Peking University.

Opening Ceremony of the Forum

This forum, co-organized by the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and hosted by Peking University National Biomedical Imaging Center (NBIC), spans two days with the theme "Life Health and Biomedical Imaging." It aims to focus on the field of life health, explore how to leverage advanced biomedical imaging research facilities to discover and investigate crucial core scientific issues, promote the interdisciplinary fusion of imaging technology with basic life sciences, clinical medicine, especially precision medicine, and drive the subsequent research of original significant scientific questions and technological innovations. The forum has invited over 150 renowned experts and scholars in related fields from within the country, facilitating in-depth exchanges and discussions through academic presentations and roundtable talks.

Qiu Shuiping Addressed

Qiu Shuiping, representing Peking University, extends warm congratulations on holding the Huairou Forum. He sincerely thanks all the leaders, guests, experts, and scholars in attendance. He emphasizes that self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology are strategic pillars for national development and a significant mission for Chinese scientists. In the field of life and health, Peking University has implemented the "Clinical Medicine + X" program, established the College of Future Technology, and aims to take on the mission of the new era by focusing on the forefront of global science and technology, creating a hub for technological innovation. In the latest stage of promoting high-quality development at the national level, with solid support from the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Education, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing Municipality, and Huairou District, Peking University is collaborating with several high-level Chinese universities and research institutions to advance the construction of a multimodal, multiscale biomedical imaging facility, striving to create the most comprehensive full-scale imaging facility in the world with the highest degree of modality fusion and visual resolution capability. Qiu Shuiping hopes that experts and scholars attending the forum will focus on the forum's theme, distill major scientific questions, concentrate on the fundamental theories and principles of "bottleneck" technologies, and promote original research on major scientific questions and technological innovation, providing new solutions for human health. He sincerely looks forward to Peking University and various forces working together to build the "Huairou Forum" into a renowned brand forum that captures the attention of the biomedical community and the world.

Qiao Jie Presided Over the Opening Ceremony of the Forum

On behalf of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Gao Fu congratulates the forum's convening and the successful establishment of the imaging facilities in Huairou Science City. He emphasizes that constructing these imaging facilities aims to address the people's well-being, tackle cutting-edge international scientific challenges, address scientific and technological issues crucial to the economic forefront and national needs, and lead us into uncharted territories in science. The National Natural Science Foundation of China underscores the importance of conducting original scientific research from scratch (from 0 to 1) and pledges ongoing support for Huairou Science City and the development of the imaging facilities.

Gao Fu Addressed

Zhang Guohui states that the Party Committee of the Ministry of Education places high importance on technological innovation efforts and vigorously promotes the construction of major scientific and technical infrastructure in universities, making it a significant driving force for accelerating the development of "Double First-Class" initiatives and achieving high-quality development. He hopes that Peking University will actively embrace its mission of achieving self-reliance and self-strengthening in high-level science and technology, make good use of the imaging facilities, address real issues through genuine research, solve practical medical problems, and expedite the transformation and application of basic research achievements in clinical diagnosis and the pharmaceutical industry.

Zhang Guohui Addressed

Liu Yuhui stated that the Beijing Municipal Education Commission strongly supports the development of Peking University and hopes that Peking University will continue to lead the way in cultivating high-level, multi-talented individuals through advanced technological innovation. Peking University's development and Huairou Science City's construction are closely related to higher education in Beijing. He looks forward to using the "Huairou Forum" as a platform to create a technological innovation ecosystem and promote the development of higher education in Beijing.

Liu Yuhui Addressed

Guo Yanhong expressed that as an essential hub for the functions of the capital and the leading central platform for the "Three Cities and One District" initiative, Huairou Comprehensive National Science Center (Huairou Science City) and national laboratories are crucial pillars of the country's strategic scientific and technological capabilities. She hopes that everyone will engage with Huairou, become rooted in Huairou, and actively participate in the construction of Huairou Science City, which will provide top-notch services and create a favorable environment.

Guo Yanhong Addressed

In the opening ceremony, Ding Mingda, a member of the Party Committee of Huairou Science City and Deputy Director of the Management Committee, presented an overview of Huairou Science City, its development goals, and the progress in constructing scientific facilities.

Ding Mingda Introduced Huairou Science City

Academician Cheng Heping, the Chief Scientist of the Multimodal Cross-Scale Biomedical Imaging Facility and the Director of NBIC, introduced the scientific objectives, construction progress, key equipment and technologies, and future applications of the imaging facility.

Cheng Heping Introduced Imaging Facilities

Following the opening ceremony, leaders and guests in attendance visited the Materials Genomics Platform of Huairou Science City, inspected the construction site of the Multimodal Cross-Scale Biomedical Imaging Facility, and held discussions with the responsible personnel from the construction company. Qiu Shuiping praised the early-stage construction work of the facility and expressed hope for effective communication, timely issue resolution, budget control, and seamless coordination between infrastructure construction and later-stage equipment procurement, installation, and integration.

Ding Mingda Introduced the Planning of Huairou Science City

On Site of the Imaging Facility Construction Symposium

The opening ceremony was attended by leaders and guests, including Zhang Hong, the First Inspector of the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission and the Zhongguancun Management Committee, Huang Linzhi, the Second Inspector of the Beijing Municipal Development and Reform Commission, Zhang Chuang, a member of the Huairou District Party Committee and Minister of the Organization Department, Liang Shuang, a member of the District Party Committee and Deputy District Mayor, and Chen Daihua, the Party Secretary and Chairman of Beijing Urban Construction Group Co., Ltd., the general contracting unit for the construction of the imaging facility. Also present at the opening ceremony were experts and scholars from the Ministry of Science and Technology's National Laboratory Working Department and related research institutions, medical institutions, and businesses, as well as experts and leaders from relevant departments and functional units of Peking University.

<The Multi-mode Trans-scale Biomedical Imaging Center>

The National Biomedical Imaging Center (NBIC), also known as the National Multi-mode Trans-scale Biomedical Imaging Center (NMTBIC), is a vital scientific and technological infrastructure dedicated to biomedical imaging. Located in Huairou Science City and covering 120 acres, NBIC is a national key project emphatically supported by the "13th Five-Year Plan" with a total investment of 1.717 billion yuan. It is a collaborative effort among Chinese scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the University of Science and Technology of China, the Harbin Institute of Technology, and Perking University, which is the legal entity.

The primary mission of NBIC is to solve fundamental scientific questions by seamlessly connecting a range of imaging scales, from molecular to human, using state-of-the-art imaging modalities. It comprises four equipment platforms: the multimodal medical imaging platform, the multimodal in-vivo imaging platform, the multimodal high-resolution molecular imaging platform, and the data integration platform. With these platforms integrated into one facility, NBIC offers comprehensive capabilities spanning nine orders of magnitude of imaging scales, making it a world-class biomedical imaging center that meets biomedical research needs. 

NBIC employs an open and stantard protocol to call for potential cooperation throughout China and establishes an international alliance with other biomedical imaging platforms in the United States, European Union, and other regions. It provides comprehensive imaging omics tools for complex life science and medical applications, promoting a paradigm shift in biomedical research. Additionally, NBIC will form an innovation alliance with universities, research institutes, and companies to develop an "industry-university-research-application" ecosystem. Ultimately, NBIC will serve as a national leader and driving force for technological and methodological innovation, guaranteeing the realization of "High-end Biomedical Imaging Instruments Made in China."

<Huairou Science City>

Huairou Science City is located in the northeastern part of northeastern Beijing, with a planned area of 100.9 square kilometers. It primarily encompasses the Huairou District and extends into some areas regions of Miyun District. Huairou Science City is one of the main platforms for building the "Three Cities and One District" International Science and Technology Innovation Center in Beijing, alongside Zhongguancun Science City, Future Science City, and Beijing Economic and Technological Development Area. It has been jointly approved by the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Science and Technology as a comprehensive national science center in Beijing's Huairou, playing a crucial role in China's efforts to become an innovative nation and a global technology powerhouse.

<Huairou Forum>

The Huairou Forum is an annual event organized by Peking University, the Huairou District People's Government in Beijing, and the Huairou Science City Management Committee. This forum serves as a platform for leading scientists, engineers, and policymakers from around the world to discuss the latest advances in biomedical imaging and its applications in precision medicine, healthcare, and other fields.

The first Huairou Forum was held in 2021 under the theme of "Life Health and Biomedical Imaging." The second Huairou Forum was held in 2022 and focused on the theme of "Innovation in Biomedical Technology and Industrial Development." By providing a forum for sharing ideas, building partnerships, and accelerating the development of biomedical imaging technology and industry, the Huairou Forum has established itself as an international platform that promotes the advancement of biomedical imaging technology in China and globally.

<Meeting Agenda>