On October 20, 2021, the Joint Council Meeting of the Chinese Academy of Sciences South America Center for Astronomy (CASSACA) and the China-Brazil Joint Laboratory for Space Weather of CAS (hereinafter referred to as CBJLSW) was held at the headquarter of National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC). Prof. Zhang Yaping, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chairman of CASSACA & CBJLSW Council, attended the meeting. The representatives of the Council members of both centers attended the meeting as well.
The Council reviewed and approved the annual work reports, funding implementations of the year 2021, as well as the work plans and budget arrangements for the next year of both oversea centers. In the meeting, the Council discussed extensively and put forward suggestions on several issues, including the platform operation, scientific research deployment, resource allocation, and international cooperation in the frontier areas such as astronomy, space science, climate and remote sensing observation.
In his concluding speech, Zhang Yaping fully acknowledged the efforts and achievements made by CASSACA and CBJLSW under the current difficult circumstances of COVID-19 pandemic. He pointed out that new requirements should be placed for the oversea centers in the new stage. “The oversea centers should further refine their work priorities, make full use of the unique advantages of the oversea platform, promote multilateral collaboration, and develop a more open and dynamic system”, said by Zhang Yaping. He also encouraged the scientists to propose major scientific ideas and plans in order to gain more and more influential scientific achievements based on the overseas centers.
CASSACA and CBJLSW were two oversea centers of Chinese Academy of Sciences. They were set up in October 2013 in Chile and in August 2014 in Brazil separately. They have been playing an important role in the international collaborations in the areas of astronomy and space weather between China and South America countries.