The 6^th HERD International Workshop and the first HERD International Joint Working Team Meeting were held at IHEP on March 26 and 27.

HERD, the High Energy cosmic Radiation Detection facility, is a China-led mission with a large international collaboration, and a flagship experiment for China's future Space Station. Its main science objectives are indirect dark matter searches with unprecedented sensitivity, precise cosmic ray spectrum and composition measurements up to the knee energy, and gamma-ray monitoring and surveys.

Around 70 scientists participated in the workshop. Representatives from the Italian Space Agency (ASI), the science counselor of the Italian Embassy, and the International Cooperation Office of the Center for Space Utilization (CSU) also attended the workshop and gave constructive guidance.

A total of 25 talks were presented, on HERD’s general progress, science, payload, simulations and beam tests. Based on the latest observations and international mission plans, HERD’s science objectives were further refined. HERD's tracking, charge measurement and trigger strategy were discussed in detail. Other issues, including plans for a beam test at CERN in September 2018, were also discussed.

In February 2018, the HERD International Joint Working Team (JWT), led by the ASI and CSU, was formally established, and its first formal meeting was held during the workshop. The working group discussed the draft of the HERD proposal and provided suggestions and amendments. A detailed work plan for the JWT was determined, and the China-Italy joint review of the HERD proposal was scheduled for May 2018.