From June 29th to July 1st, the 2026 Congress of International Society of Developmental and Comparative Immunology, co-hosted by Dalian Ocean University, the International Society of Developmental and Comparative Immunology, and the Asian Society of Developmental and Comparative Immunology, and organized by 11 institutions including Jimei University and Ningbo University, was held at Shangri-La Hotel, Dalian. More than 500 experts and scholars from over 10 countries, including the United States, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, attended the congress. Shi Mingqiang, Secretary of the Leading Party Members’ Group and Vice Chairman of the Dalian Association for Science and Technology; Zhao Hongzhi, Deputy Director-General of the Dalian Science and Technology Bureau; Du Ming, President of Dalian Ocean University; Li Zhijun, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee; Liu Wenhe, Vice President; Lu Kun, Assistant to the President; and leaders of relevant institutions and departments attended the opening ceremony. The ceremony was hosted by Song Linsheng, President of the Asian Society of Developmental and Comparative Immunology and Professor from the College of Marine Technology and Environment of Dalian Ocean University.
At the opening ceremony, Du Ming extended a warm welcome to experts from home and abroad on behalf of our university. He noted that an in-depth understanding of the developmental and immune mechanisms of different organisms is not only a fundamental issue in the life sciences but also a key support for advancing the green transformation of aquaculture and realizing the sustainable utilization of marine biological resources. The university will continue to leverage its distinctive strengths in marine science, fisheries, food science and other disciplines, and rely on the high-end academic platform of the International Society of Developmental and Comparative Immunology to contribute Chinese wisdom to global marine sustainable development.
Shi Mingqiang fully affirmed the outstanding achievements of our university in the marine field. He stated that the Dalian Association for Science and Technology will continue to serve as a bridge, fully serve science and technology professionals, and actively build high-quality platforms for academic exchanges, helping innovative technologies and projects related to developmental and comparative immunology to take root, grow and thrive in Dalian.
Geert·F·Wiegertjes, President of the International Society of Developmental and Comparative Immunology and Professor from the Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands, remarked that this congress marks the first time the Society has held a meeting in China since its founding in 1976, fully demonstrating the rapid rise and remarkable contributions of Chinese scholars in the field of developmental and comparative immunology. He also expressed great hopes for strengthening global cooperation in the future.
Under the theme “Innovation and Development of Developmental and Comparative Immunology”, the congress invited eight world-leading experts in the field to deliver keynote speeches on key, hot, challenging and cutting-edge scientific issues in developmental and comparative immunology. They include Professor Kenneth Söderhäll from Uppsala University, Sweden, a renowned international expert in invertebrate immunology; Professor Irene Salinas from the University of New Mexico; Professor Brian Dixon from the University of Waterloo, Canada, Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Developmental & Comparative Immunology; Professor Xu Anlong from Sun Yat-sen University; Professor Chen Qijun from Shenyang Agricultural University; and Professor Wang Yuanchao from Nanjing Agricultural University.
Alongside the main congress, four thematic sessions were organized, including “Evolution and origins of immune system”, “Innate immune and immune response”, and “Adaptive immune and vaccine”. It hosted 12 oral parallel sessions, over 90 presentations by young scholars and graduate students, and more than 50 poster displays. Meanwhile, Professor Irene Salinas was elected as the new President of the International Society of Developmental and Comparative Immunology, and 22 awards were presented, including Best Presentation Awards and Best Poster Awards.
Source: International Exchange and Cooperation Office, School of Marine Science and Environment Engineering
Writers: Wang Lingling, Qiao Xue, Min Yuanhe
Editors-in-Charge: Shao Jingyi, Huo Zhongming, Fu Changbing
Reviewed & Approved by: Zhu Hui, Tan Lijuan, Deng Lizhi