CODATA-China
The First Scientific Data Conference, organised by the Chinese National Committee for CODATA (CODATA-China), was recently held in Beijing, on 24-25 February 2014. Entitled Big Research Data and Data Science, the conference aimed to improve understanding of the central issues in the era of Big Data, to promote multidisciplinary communication, to help the development of young data scientists, to encourage revitalisation of traditional research approaches and to contribute to and support the Chinese national strategy to promote innovation.
Professor Guo Huadong, President of CODATA, addresses the First Scientific Data Conference, organised by CODATA-China
The conference received a congratulatory message from Academician Ding Zhongli, president of CODATA-China. Professor Huang Xiangyang, vice-president of CODATA-China chaired the opening ceremony. Academician Guo Huadong, president of CODATA, Professor Wangfan, deputy director of the Bureau of Facility Support and Budget, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Professor Cao Jinghua, deputy director of the Bureau of International Co-operation CAS, each attended the conference and delivered welcome speeches at the opening ceremony. More than 400 experts, scholars and students from over 100 research units participated in the conference, making it a significant success.
Participants in the auditorium at CODATA-China’s First Scientific Data Conference
Spanning two days, the conference featured two plenary sessions and fourteen breakout sessions. There were four major keynotes, three invited reports and three business reports. Academician Guo Huadong, Academician Chen Runsheng, Academician Wang Maohua and Professor Meng Xiaofeng were invited as keynote speakers. The keynotes focused on the hot issues in the Big Data era, including integration and notation of Big Data, development opportunities and major challenges for science and technology.
The breakout sessions included both technical sessions and open forums. The technical sessions involved Big Data issues in a range of research areas, including earth and space science, life sciences and medicine, material science, agricultural and rural informatics, physics and chemistry, as well as Big Data analysis and processing technology, linked data and information recommendation, DOI registration, cloud computing, data discovery and visualisation.
CODATA-China’s First Scientific Data Conference
At the closing ceremony, Dr. Li Jianhui, secretary-general of CODATA-China, made a concluding speech and announced the forthcoming book, soon to be published by Science China Press, on Scientific Research Activity in the Big Data Era, which covers many of the themes of the conference. The best papers from the conference will be published in the CODATA Data Science Journal. The conference is one of the most successful academic activities to have taken place during the thirty years since CODATA-China was established.
In collaboration with CAS, RADI (the Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth), CODATA-China and other organisations, CODATA will convene an International Workshop on Big Data and International Scientific Programmes: Challenges and Opportunities which will take place in Beijing in June 2014. More details soon!
CODATA International’s Officers, Executive Committee and Executive Director are currently meeting at the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities for CODATA’s annual planning meeting. We would like to congratulate CODATA-China for organising this important conference and we look forward to future collaborations. Many thanks go to the CODATA-China Secretariat, Dr. Li Jianhui, Ms. Zhang Hui and Ms. Li Chang for this post and for their hard work convening the conference.