Edited by Andie (XI Yue)

On November 15, 2024, the 2024 West Lake Conference for Minimally Invasive Surgery—Belt & Road Medical Training Program for Minimally Invasive Surgery was held in Hangzhou. The event, hosted by the Branch of Minimally Invasive Surgery of Zhejiang Medical Association, was organized by SRRSH and SRRSH Belt & Road Minimally Invasive Medicine Academy.

Nearly 62 experts, scholars, elites, and trainees from 11 institutions in 19 countries joined together at SRRSH, focusing on the application and innovation of minimally invasive surgical techniques and devices. They shared different organizations’ relevant surgical practices and experience in minimally invasive surgery training and discussed the prospect of international collaboration in this area. The program also offered a live broadcast of remote surgeries, with the experts at the venue observing the whole process of surgery. In the afternoon, participants tried the laparoscopic dry and wet laboratory simulation skills training and virtual reality simulation skills training. We hope that the event will make for more interchange and collaboration on minimally invasive surgery with Belt and Road partner countries and further progress in this discipline through academic exchanges.