“ANSO-MTA Silk Road Forum & The 3rd ATES Open Science Conference” Opened at MTA Headquarters in Budapest, Hungary

25 09, 2025

On 9 September 2025, the “ANSO-MTA Silk Road Forum & The 3rd ATES Open Science Conference” officially commenced at the headquarters of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA) in Budapest. This three-day conference was initiated and organized by ANSO, MTA, and the Association for Trans-Eurasia Exchange and Silk Road Civilization Development (ATES) -- an international scientific network within the ANSO framework. As a key event celebrating the 200th anniversary of MTA, the conference brought together more than 80 experts and scholars from Hungary, China, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, the United States, Mongolia, and other countries.

The opening ceremony was chaired by Prof. Michael Meadows, Co-Chair of ATES. Prof. Ferenc Hudecz, Vice President of MTA, addressed the participants with a warm welcome speech. He noted that Hungary has long served as a vital bridge along the Silk Road, fostering cross-cultural and academic exchanges between Asia and Europe. He expressed honor in further strengthening collaboration with ANSO and the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) through this forum, and shared a collective look forward to advancing interdisciplinary research and joint initiatives in sustainable development.

Prof. Liu Weidong, Executive Director of ANSO and Director General of the Bureau of International Cooperation of CAS, extended congratulations on the 200th anniversary of MTA. He emphasized that ANSO and CAS remain committed to promoting scientific and technological cooperation with Hungary and other European countries. He expressed confidence that the forum would provide new impetus for research on Silk Road civilizations and the environment.

Prof. Chen Fahu, Co-Chair of ATES, emphasized that Hungary acts as a key nexus between Asia and Europe. By fostering in-depth collaboration with relevant Hungarian universities and research institutions, ATES will advance interdisciplinary research on the China-Europe Silk Road to new heights.

Opening remarks were also delivered by representatives from other co-organizers, namely the Research Centre for the Humanities of the Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE RCH), the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (ITPCAS), Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), Lanzhou University, the Commission of Silk Road Civilizations and Environments (SCE) under the International Geographical Union (IGU), and the UNESCO International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (IDSSD). Representatives of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Hungary also attended the conference.

In the following days, participants engaged in in-depth discussions on cutting-edge topics, including the relationship between environmental change and human activities along the Silk Road, as well as exchanges between Eastern and Western cultures, science and technology, and the development of Silk Road civilizations, exploring avenues for academic cooperation and frontier scientific issues.

The conference provided a platform for in-depth exchange and discussion among experts and scholars from MTA, CAS, and other institutions worldwide. It significantly enhanced communication among experts in the field and drew maps for future collaboration. The conference was supported by CAS-ANSO Conference Program (Grant No. CAS-ANSO-C1A-2024-01).