Global Ocean Summit: Marine Science, Technology and Sustainable Development was held in Qingdao from October 25 to October 26, 2014, on the occasion of celebrating the 90th Anniversary of the Ocean University of China (OUC). The event was hosted by the OUC, with contributions from Qingdao National Oceanography Laboratory (QNOL). The summit integrated heads and world-renowned scientists from over 60 marine-related institutions in 14 countries and regions to discuss issues related to marine science, technology and sustainable. Representatives addressed the opening session were Prof. WU Dexing, former president of the OUC, WANG Hong, deputy administrator of the State Oceanic Administration (SOA), SHI Pengjian, deputy director-general, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education of China, Dr. CHAI Yucheng, deputy director, Division of Earth Sciences, National Natural Science Foundation (NSFC) and Prof. WANG Xiaofang, vice mayor of Qingdao. The opening session was chaired by Prof. WU Lixin, director of POL and member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Under the framework of 1.5-day event, those addressing in the events were heads/representatives and scientists from top marine-related institutions of home and abroad such as Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, University of Maine, University of Delaware, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Leibniz Center for Tropical Marine Ecology, Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, ETH Zürich, French Institute for Exploitation of the Sea, P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Oceans & Atmosphere Flagship of Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), University of Tokyo, Nature Climate Change, as well as Ocean University of China, Qingdao National Oceanography Laboratory, Institute of Oceanology of Chinese Academy of Sciences, First Institute of Oceanography of State Oceanic Administration, Taiwan Ocean University. They made introduction to their institutions, their current status, latest research findings in areas of common interest such as exploitation and utilization of marine resources, ocean and climate change, protection of marine ecosystem, exploration techniques in deep ocean, as well as the blueprint for their future development, which helped to deepen the understanding and promote communication.

In the summit, Qingdao Consensus on Sustainable Development of Future Oceans was declared. The consensus was drafted by the OUC and aimed to deal with challenge in changes of global marine ecosystem and its sustainable development, deepen human understanding to ocean, as well as enhance development of marine research and education. Participants of the summit reached agreement on the document and signed on it to emphasize that each participating institution would promote cooperation in marine science and technology, improve sharing marine education resources and education programs, as well as make their contribution to sustainable development of global ocean. Declaration of the Consensus demonstrated wishes and determination to promote marine-related development of global marine community.

The summit functions as a platform for broader vision and exchange in academic and management between participants of marine-related institutions so as to lay a solid foundation for establishment of new collaboration mechanisms in marine science and technology for cross-disciplinary exchange.