The 2016 NEFU Conference on Science and Technology was held in Chengdong Building on December 21, 2016. Du Jishan, Deputy Director General of the Department of Science and Technology, State Forestry Administration of the People’s Republic of China and Yang Wenhui, Deputy Division Chief of General Office of the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China were present at the conference. All leaders of NEFU, deans of colleges, heads of departments, deputy deans (directors) in charge of scientific research, secretaries of scientific research and representatives of scientific and technological personnel, etc. attended the conference. The conference was hosted by Li Bin, Vice president of NEFU and keynote speeches were given by principal attendees.

At the beginning of the conference, Zhao Yusen, Vice President of NEFU, read out the list of names winning the Science and Technology Awards above provincial and ministerial levels during the 12th Five-Year Plan period. Zhao said that in the past five years NEFU won a total of 432 Science and Technology Awards at various levels, including 4 awards at the state level, 84 awards at provincial and ministerial levels, and 344 awards at department and bureau levels.

Next, Yang Chuanping, President of NEFU, delivered a keynote speech. President Yang fully reviewed the great achievements NEFU has made during the 12th Five-Year Plan period from the following aspects: levels of scientific research projects and total funding, scientific research awards and achievements, scientific research team construction, transformation of scientific and technological achievements, levels of scientific and technological periodicals, Institutions of Higher Learning Innovation Ability Enhancement or “2011 Plan”, construction of Science and Technology Information System, the scientific research management system, etc. President Yang pointed out the new situation of science and technology work and outlined the key tasks of the science and technology work in the 13th Five-Year Plan period. He said that in the 13th Five-Year period, NEFU would be committed to improving science and technology supervision services, consolidating project research, building high-level innovation teams, enhancing the levels of scientific research platforms, integrating major achievements and increasing representative outputs, promoting the transformation of scientific and technological achievements and strengthening the humanities and social science research to create a high-level think tank. President Yang expects that NEFU will continue to provide a favorable environment for talent development; NEFU will discover talents in innovative practices, cultivate talents in innovation activities and pool talents in innovation undertakings. He expressed his confidence that with the development of talents as the driving force, NEFU is striving towards a better and faster development in its science and technology causes and is striding forward into the community of world leading universities of forestry.

Yang Wenhui, Deputy Division Chief of General Office of the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China then spoke highly of the achievements of all aspects that NEFU made during the 12th Five-Year Plan period. By quoting some related state laws and policies, he talked about the major tasks scientific and technological personnel in universities will face. Yang Wenhui put forward four points for our university's science and technology work: bearing in mind the goal of reform; establishing an appropriate favorable evaluation system for scientific research; innovating scientific research organization; strengthening the exchanges and improving the scientific research management.

Wu Guochun, Secretary of the CPC Committee of NEFU, then delivered a speech. Wu said that this conference is to summarize the science and technology work during the 12th Five-Year Plan period and outline the major tasks in the science and technology work for the 13th Five-Year Plan period and provide all staff and students clarity about the tasks and missions of the science and technology work in the new context so as to improve NEFU’s science and technology work and further accelerate its development. On behalf of CPC Committee of NEFU, Wu put forward three points: fully understand the driving role of science and technology work; further improve scientific research work; create a favorable environment for the work of science and technology. He mentioned that science and technology is the inherent requirement of cultivating high-quality innovative talents, the embodiment of serving economic and social developments and the needs of enhancing our university’s comprehensive strength. He emphasized that we should make every effort to promote the reform of the scientific research work system and mechanism, make every effort to increase the construction of high-level personnel, and make every effort to single out every detail of the scientific research work. At last he appealed to all those present to take action immediately, work hard and make a new chapter in our university’s science and technology work.

Following Wu, Du Jishan, Deputy Director General of Department of Science and Technology, State Forestry Administration of the People’s Republic of China addressed the conference. In his speech titled “Some thoughts on Forestry Science and Technology Work in the New Period,” Du elaborated the key points in forestry science and technology work during the 13th Five-Year Plan period from the following: the new situation of forestry science and technology in China, the 13th Five-Year Plan of forestry science and technology innovation, the reform and management of national key scientific research plan and suggestions for universities in science and technology work. In addition, he also detailed how to apply for state key scientific research projects.

Wu Haiquan, Chief Accountant of NEFU, also attended and addressed the conference. In his speech, he analyzed the merits and demerits of the current scientific research fund management system and briefly introduced some newly issued state laws and policies concerning fund management for scientific research projects. Then he talked about the reform of scientific research fund management in NEFU and detailed some related regulations and policies. He expected that scientific research funding would play its due role and the scientific and technological personnel of NEFU will make more achievements in scientific research in the future.

Vice President Li Bin summarized the conference. He said that all units in NEFU should conscientiously study and implement the spirit of this conference; scientific research personnel should be devoted to scientific research and make new achievements and management departments should be ready for service at any time and strive to create a favorable academic atmosphere. He hoped that with the supports and guidance from the Ministry of Education of the PRC and the State Forestry Administration of the PRC, as always, the whole university will act as one to carry out its scientific and technological work so as to make new and greater contributions to China’s economic and social developments.