Meetings

Around 500 researchers, farmers, policymakers and citizens gathered in Coimbra, Portugal, from 7 to 11 September 2026 for the Soils for Europe Conference, organised by the EU-funded SOLO project with almost 40 co-organising projects. Held as the EU’s first soil health law takes effect, the conference looked back on five years of Mission Soil and explored how research can be turned into policy and practice.

The LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed) officially received the baton to host the World Health Summit (WHS) Regional Meeting 2027, Hong Kong, China, at the WHS Opening Night in Berlin, Germany, on 11 October 2026. The handover from Nairobi, the 2026 Regional Meeting host, set the stage for Hong Kong, China, to host this leading international platform for global health dialogue for the first time.

The Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, School of Clinical Medicine of the LKS Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong (HKUMed), commissioned by the Health Bureau, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (HKSAR), is conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the Chronic Disease Co-Care (CDCC) Pilot Scheme, examining its quality of care, acceptability to participants, effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. Evaluation findings as of February 2026 indicate that the Scheme has shown strong participant engagement and high levels of satisfaction. Significant improvements have also been observed in cardiovascular and metabolic health indicators, highlighting the Scheme’s effectiveness in improving participants’ health and its potential to reduce the burden of chronic disease on the community.

In response to geopolitical headwinds and shifting global trade dynamics, HKU Business School hosted the Edward K Y Chen Distinguished Lecture 2026 at HKU Loke Yew Hall on 7 October 2026, with Professor Mari Elka PANGESTU, Special Envoy of the President of the Republic of Indonesia for International Trade and Multilateral Cooperation; and Vice Chair of the National Economic Council serving as the keynote speaker. Addressing nearly 500 distinguished leaders from the business, academic and public‑affairs community attending online and in person, Professor PANGESTU shared key strategies to safeguard ASEAN economies from global fragmentation, under the theme of ‘‘Navigating Asian Economies amidst a Challenging Geopolitical Landscape’’.

Jointly organised by the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and CETIC Foundation, the MeckUP Quest National Finals — Orbit Odyssey Hackathon — took place from 19 to 22 August 2026 at HKU Zhangjiang Base in Shanghai. 

Stem Cell Reports, the official journal of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), has been named the Official Meeting Journal of the Australasian Society for Stem Cell Research (ASSCR) 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting, taking place 9-11 November 2026 at The Glasshouse in Melbourne, Australia.

Under the theme “Brewing Innovation,” ASSCR 2026 will bring together researchers and leaders in stem cell science and regenerative medicine to share new discoveries, explore emerging technologies, and foster scientific collaboration across the Australasian research community and beyond.

One Nucleus, SLAS, and ELRIG will connect their communities through cross-event networking and partnering opportunities during London Bio-Innovation Week, taking place 7^th - 11^th December 2026.

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) has opened registration and abstract submissions for the ISSCR 2027 Annual Meeting, taking place 15-18 June 2027 at Moscone West in San Francisco, California, USA. Marking the 25th anniversary of the ISSCR Annual Meeting, this hallmark event will bring together the global stem cell community to share groundbreaking discoveries, explore transformative technologies, and advance the future of stem cell science and regenerative medicine. 

JST, together with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, will hold the "1st ASEAN-NEXUS Symposium" and the "1st ASEAN-NEXUS Networking Forum" in Tokyo, Japan, on December 7-8, 2026. The symposium will showcase NEXUS achievements, facilitate the exchange of ideas across research fields, and feature insights from Japanese Nobel laureates on international collaboration. The forum will build on discussions, deepen researcher-to-researcher connections, and explore new opportunities for collaboration.

BEAGLE is a newly launched research project that aims to transform how Europe monitors biodiversity by closing critical gaps in current systems and turning fragmented data into policy-ready evidence.