1st China-Singapore Experts Workshop on Pandemic Sciences, 20-21 September 2023

Opening of the 1st China-Singapore Experts’ Workshop on Pandemic Sciences, Singapore, 20 September 2023

As part of joint efforts to strengthen scientific collaborations, the National Research Foundation, Singapore (NRF-SG) and the Ministry of Science and Technology, China (MOST-CN) are supporting a series of joint workshops on global challenges such as health and sustainability.

The inaugural workshop on Pandemic Sciences was co-organised by the Programme for Research in Epidemic Preparedness and REsponse (PREPARE); Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore; and Tsinghua University, China, on 20 and 21 September 2023. 54 Singapore and Chinese academics from various institutions as well as international experts attended the two-day workshop and engaged with infectious disease experts, medical practitioners and government officials from both countries.

To provide participants with some background to how both countries responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, Prof ZHONG Nanshan, Guangzhou Laboratory, China; and Prof Vernon LEE, National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore provided participants with an overview of the unique approach and strategy each country undertook to fight the virus. This set the context for the presentations and panel discussions on (i) epidemiology and data sciences; (ii) clinical research; (iii) regional networks and biosafety; (iv) detection technologies for diagnostics and surveillance; (v) immunology and medical countermeasures; and (vi) socio-behavioural and regulatory science.

Left picture: From left to right, Prof Vernon LEE, Mr ZHU Jing, Prof ZHONG Nanshan, Prof WONG Tien Yin, Prof WANG Linfa. Right picture: From left to right, Prof ZHONG Nanshan, Prof Peter PIOT, Prof ZHANG Linqi.

The workshop concluded with a discussion on lessons shared and learned over the two days. Participants agreed international partnerships would broaden each countries’ networks and ss a key consideration for future collaborations. The sustainability of collaborative research efforts was highlighted as a major consideration in planning for successful initiatives as well.

The workshop concluded with closing remarks from international observer Prof Peter PIOT, European Commission, and co-organisers Prof WANG Linfa, PREPARE / Duke-NUS, Singapore, and Prof ZHANG Linqi, Tsinghua University, China.

The institutions and speakers represented at the workshop can be found in the Annex.

Prof ZHONG Nanshan with the organising committee of the 1st China-Singapore Experts’ Workshop on Pandemic Sciences, Singapore, 20-21 September 2023. From left to right: Dr SHAN Sisi, A/Prof ZHANG Qi, Prof WONG Tien Yin, Prof ZHANG Linqi, Prof ZHONG Nanshan, Prof David LYE, Ms LAI Yih Shin, Dr Ramona GUTIERREZ, Prof WANG Linfa.

Annex