In order to promote the communication and collaboration between astronomy communities of China and Chile, sponsored by Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), National Astronomical Observatories, CAS (NAOC), the "Fourth China-Chile Astronomy Workshop" was successfully held in Sun Yat-Sen University (SYSU), Guangzhou, on Dec. 7-10, 2014. The meeting was organized by the CAS South American Center for Astronomy (CASSACA), also known as China-Chile Joint Center for Astronomy (CCJCA), with the help of the School of Astronomy and Space Sciences (SASS) of SYSU.

CASSACA is one of the overseas projects initiated by CAS to develop cooperation in science and technology with foreign countries. In February 2013, CASSACA was inaugurated at NAOC, and its Santiago office was inaugurated in October 2013 at University of Chile. The Center serves as a platform for collaboration in astronomical research and related technologies between China and South America countries. The Center helps to build international scientific teams and joint programs engaging in frontier astronomy research. The China-Chile Astronomy Workshop is a major platform to strengthen communications in astronomical research between the two countries, and has been held alternately in Chile and China. It has been proven to be successful in the past meetings of the series, prompting knowledge and information exchange between astronomers, and initiating collaborative projects and joint programs.

Around 100 participants attended this Workshop, including experts, young scientists and students. Professor Xiping Zhu, vice president of SYSU offered his welcome as the host; Jinghua Cao, Deputy Director of the Bureau of International Cooperation, CAS and Guoxuan Dong, Deputy Director of Mathematics and Physics Department, NSFC, both addressed the meeting; Professor Rojo Patricio, Chairman of Astronomical Society of Chile (SOCHIAS) and other Chilean astronomers expressed high expectations for the Chile-China cooperation, and gave a lot of suggestions and comments; Dr. Zhong Wang, Director of CASSACA, and Dr. Jiasheng Huang, its Chief Scientist introduced the current status and future prospects of the Center. At this Workshop, directors or their representatives of nearly all major astronomical observatories/departments of China and Chile reported and summarized the major research areas and current activities of their institutions, and also gave detailed talks on some recent research highlights. During the four-day workshop, astronomers from both countries communicated cordially and comprehensively, reviewing the existing ties and finding opportunities for future collaborations. The bilateral workshop is recognized as an important catalyst for Chile-China astronomy communications, and a useful model for CAS to advance international cooperation widely.

The website for this bilateral workshop is at http://ccaw4.csp.escience.cn. For more information about CASSACA, please visit our homepage at http://www.cassaca.org.

Workshop group photo

Jinghua CAO, Deputy Director of the Bureau of International Cooperation, CAS, addresses the meeting

A glance at the workshop

Progress of CASSACA, talk by Dr. Zhong Wang, director of CASSACA