On the afternoon of October 14, a multi-lateral meeting is held in Huanghai Hotel, Qingdao, China among four ICIAM members, CSIAM (China), JSIAM (Japan), KSIAM (Korea) and ECMI (European Consortium for Mathematics in Industry). The four societies introduce the development of industrial and applied mathematics in their respective countries/region, and discuss the measures to enhance multi-lateral communication and cooperation. The meeting is a part of the 15th CSIAM annual meeting, which is held in Qingdao on October 12-15, 2017.

The participants include Pingwen Zhang (president of CSIAM), Hiroshi Kokubu (board member of JSIAM), Eunok Jung (president of KSIAM), Dietmar Hoemberg (president of ECMI), as well as the four societies' vice-presidents for international exchange. Ya-xiang Yuan (ICIAM president-elect) and officers from the National Natural Science Foundation of China also attend the meeting. The meeting is chaired by Pingwen Zhang.

Pingwen Zhang first extends warm welcome to the foreign delegates for their visit to the CSIAM annual meeting. He mentions that the meeting is of great importance for mutual understanding and future collaboration.

The four societies introduce their respective history, main tasks and future plans in turn. Then, the participants make a friendly and sincere discussion on how to strengthen multi-lateral cooperation, and reach the following consensus:

-- CSIAM, JSIAM and KSIAM jointly hold a special session each year, which is organized by the three societies in turn. The session could be an embedded meeting in the society's annual meeting. The time and venue of the session will be determined by the international exchange committees of the three societies.

-- When the above cooperation is on the right track, a fourth country/region could join them to hold the special session.

-- Each society could link other societies' websites to its own website, and publish other societies' important information in its publicity materials such as newsletter.

-- Each society could organize post-doc international exchange program.

-- Each society could invite other societies' leaders, scholars and students to attend its annual meetings and other academic conferences for the exchange of research achievements and better understanding of each other.

Finally, Ya-xiang Yuan gives a talk. He believes the prospect for the four societies' cooperation is brilliant, and wishes each society make achievements in promoting academic exchange and the exchange with the industrial community. He also suggests the four societies have more contact with ICIAM.

The multi-lateral meeting plays a significant role in boosting the exchange and cooperation on industrial and applied mathematics among various countries, and marks a new beginning for the CSIAM's international exchange.

(By CSIAM Office)