On August 7, 2026, the 2026 annual academic exchange meeting of the Joint Laboratory of Biological Resources and Disease Molecular Mechanisms, jointly established by the Kunming Institute of Zoology (KIZ) and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), was held at the KIZ Ciba campus. Seven scholars from CUHK's School of Biomedical Sciences attended, including Prof. Zhao Hui, Prof. Chen Pei, Prof. Jiang Xiaohua, Prof. Zhang Zhiyun, Prof. Tian Xiaoyu, Prof. Gu Shen, and postdoctoral fellow Shi Yujia. From KIZ, Director Prof. Shi Peng, Deputy Director Prof. Li Ming, and nearly 30 research leaders including Prof. Yao Yonggang, Prof. Zheng Yongtang, and Prof. Kong Qingpeng participated, along with over 30 students and researchers.

During the meeting, both sides delivered 14 academic presentations covering tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, stem cell molecular regulation, neuroscience, epigenetic regulation, biological big data mining, cavefish adaptive evolution, and tree shrew disease models. Experts shared their latest experimental findings, technological breakthroughs, and theoretical insights. In thematic discussions, the two sides explored deepening joint research directions, collaborative planning and application for major research projects, and innovative talent development mechanisms.

Both parties agreed that collaboration should extend beyond academic exchange toward substantive cooperation anchored in research projects. They committed to systematically reviewing existing collaborative foundations and strategic advantages under existing national-level and CAS-level joint funding frameworks, jointly planning and advancing major research project applications. The two institutions will strengthen young researcher interaction through regularized mutual visit mechanisms and joint training programs, cultivating internationally competitive research talent and injecting vitality into the joint laboratory's sustainable development.