Jointly organized by the Swiss Space Office and the National Space Science Center (NSSC), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the first China-Switzerland Space Science Workshop was held in Lenk, Switzerland, 10-11 Sept. 2014.

At the opening ceremony, Mr. Daniel Neuenschwander, head of the Swiss Space Office, stressed the importance of international cooperation in the development of space science. In the keynote speech, Prof. WU Ji, Director General of NSSC, outlined the current progress of the CAS Strategic Priority Program on Space Science with emphasis on “the intensive studies for future missions”, touching upon possibilities and prospects of future space science cooperation between China and Switzerland.

Both sides extended strong wish for further cooperation via the scientific platform provided by the International Space Science Institute and the International Space Science institutes in Beijing (ISSI-BJ).

31 participants from China and Switzerland attended the forum. More than 20 presentations were delivered during the two-day workshop relating to fields such as astrophysics, planetary science, fundamental science, solar and space physics, microgravity and space environment, as well as earth observation.

The second China-Switzerland Space Science workshop will be held in China within two years.