From October 29th to 31st, 2023, the First International Symposium on Plant Ecological Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Eco-Evo-Devo) 2023 was held at the Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The symposium was hosted by IHB, and co-organized by five institutions: the Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Wuhan University; Huazhong Agricultural University; Central China Normal University; and Hubei University. A total of 140 participants, including experts, scholars, faculty, and student representatives from various research institutes and universities in the United States, Germany, Japan, and South Korea attended the conference to discuss the latest advances in plant ecology, evolution, and developmental biology and to promote collaboration and exchange.

Professor XIE Shouqi, deputy director of IHB, attended the opening ceremony and delivered a welcome speech. He briefly introduced the development of the institute and expressed hope that the conference would serve as an opportunity to further strengthen international exchanges, focus on the research frontiers of plant ecological evolution and developmental biology, attract more outstanding talents, strive for greater academic achievements, and promote high-level international cooperation.

Academician Inhwan Hwang from Pohang University of Science and Technology (South Korea) served as the chair of the conference, delivered the opening remarks, and gave a special invited report titled "Evolution of chloroplasts and mitochondria: a new look through a window of the cellular system, protein targeting mechanism."

During the symposium, renowned experts from both China and abroad presented plenary reports, including: Professor Keiko U. Torii from the University of Texas at Austin, Professor Seisuke Kimura from Kyoto Sangyo University, Professor Taisheng Cheng from Tainan University, Professor Chongde Xiao from Chung Yuan Christian University, Professor Nikolai Borisjuk from Huaiyin Normal University, Professor Wang Qingfeng from Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Kong Hongzhi from the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Liang Eryuan from the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Wang Xin from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Hou Hongwei from the Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Bai Shunong from Peking University, Professor Zhao Peng from Wuhan University, and Professor Zhou Chuanen from Shandong University. 

These presentations provided in-depth insights from various perspectives, including plant biodiversity, plant ecology, evolution and evolutionary history, plant developmental biology, plant molecular and cell biology, and plant environmental adaptation mechanisms. 

The closing remarks were delivered by internationally renowned botanist Professor Harald Schneider, Lifetime Principal Researcher at the Natural History Museum, London, and researcher at the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He also presented a special invited report titled "A deep time perspective on eco-evo-devo--identifying trajectories of plant diversity in space and time." He stated that the symposium showcased international research frontiers and the latest achievements in plant molecular biology, ecology, evolution, and developmental biology. He emphasized that the event would play a positive role in promoting interdisciplinary integration, communication, and collaboration, thereby advancing the field of plant ecological evolutionary developmental biology.