On April 2, 2025, NSFC President Dou Xiankang met with the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) delegation led by Director Fiona Watt.

President Dou Xiankang extended a warm welcome to Director Watt for her visit and introduced the latest reform measures of NSFC aimed at deepening the reform of the talent funding system and mechanism, as well as promoting international cooperation. President Dou highlighted that NSFC places great importance on its cooperative relationship with Europe. By continuously deepening and expanding the Sino-European joint funding mechanism, NSFC has already established a comprehensive, multifaceted, and multilevel cooperation framework with Europe in basic research. President Dou emphasized that NSFC and EMBO share the common goal of promoting the development of life sciences research and have a broad foundation for cooperation. NSFC is willing to collaborate with EMBO in molecular biology to strengthen academic exchanges, drive frontier explorations, and nurture young scientific research talents. Building on the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between China and the European Union, this collaboration would inject new impetus into Sino-European basic research cooperation.

Director Watt commended China's rapid development in basic research and the contributions made by NSFC. She expressed hope that the meeting would serve as a catalyst for bolstering academic exchanges and talent cultivation between China and Europe in the field of molecular biology.

Also on the delegation was Jonathan Kirsch, Head of Administration and Finance of EMBO. On the Chinese side, attendees included Dr. Fan Yingjie, Director General of the Bureau of International Cooperation, relevant staff from the European Affairs Division, Wang Puyue, Deputy Director of the Department of Life Sciences, and Yin Wenxuan, Executive Deputy Director of the Department of International Programs.