The Fourth Meeting of the First Governing Board of the International Panel of Mesoscience (IPM) was held on Sept. 4, 2026, at BASF in Ludwigshafen, Germany. 

Board members visited BASF headquarters for an exchange and study tour. They attended presentations on the company's development history and latest research advances, and conducted an on-site inspection in BASF plant. The meeting was then held at the BASF Conference Center, jointed by board members both onsite and online.

Prof. LI Jinghai, President of IPM, delivered a report titled "Challenges, Difficulties and Opportunities in Advancing Mesoscience". He reaffirmed mesoscience's core value in revealing universal principles of complex systems and promoting interdisciplinary integration, and called for the launch of a global transdisciplinary cooperation program.

Executive Secretary-General ZHANG Nan presented annual progress and a strategic outlook for 2027–2028, covering organizational development, revision of the constitution, cooperation with UNESCO and the exploration of mesoscience in AI.

The board approved the updated verion of IPM Constitution, elected ZHANG Nan as secretary-general and approved seven new members. Board members held in-depth discussions over cooperation on a UNESCO policy brief, international project collaboration, IPM's future development and the next board meeting.

The board agreed to prepare high-level summaries of four mesoscale case studies; solicit proposals for new projects in areas such as the SDGs, water provision, brain function and financial markets; and enhance communication both from the website and social platforms, as well as develop a mesoscience toolkit.

The meeting underscored the growing role of mesoscience as a bridge between scientific frontiers and global sustainable development. IPM will continue to work with global partners to advance the field in addressing complex challenges.