The International Symposium on Hydrogen and Catalysis – China International Hydrogen Conference (ISHC-CIHE) is an annual, invitation-only gathering that brings together 250–300 senior scientists, CTOs, venture investors, and policy makers from China, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Australia, and the United States. The 2024 edition will be held 18–20 September in Dalian, Liaoning Province, in hybrid format: two days of on-site talks and poster sessions at the Dalian International Conference Center plus a parallel livestream for registered delegates. The symposium is co-organised by the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (CAS), China Hydrogen Alliance, and the German Catalysis Society; proceedings are published in a special issue of the Journal of Energy Chemistry. The programme is built around four grand challenges: (1) ultra-stable PEM and anion-exchange membranes operating above 120 °C; (2) single-atom and nano-alloy catalysts for water electrolysis that reach <1.45 V @ 1 A cm⁻²; (3) solid-state hydrogen storage materials surpassing 6 wt% reversible capacity at ambient pressure; and (4) catalyst-layer engineering for direct hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles with 80 000 h lifetime. Plenary lectures will be delivered by Prof. Can Li (CAS, “Decade of Solar Water Splitting”), Prof. Kazunari Domen (UTokyo, “8 m² Panel Reactor Beyond 10% STH”), Prof. Seraphim P. K. Kienitz (FAU Erlangen, “CO₂-Free NH₃ Cracking”), and Prof. Hye Ryung Byon (KAIST, “Hydrogen Peroxide Fuel Cells”). Forty invited talks are grouped into eight micro-symposia covering high-entropy-oxide catalysts, AEM electrolysers, hydrogen permeation membranes, LOHC dehydrogenation kinetics, cryo-compressed storage, fuel-cell heavy-duty trucks, hydrogen certification standards, and end-of-life catalyst recycling. A midday “Tech-to-Market” session allows 20 pre-seed start-ups to pitch to a panel from Sinopec Capital, Toyota Ventures, and the Asian Development Bank; winners receive fast-track access to the Dalian Hydrogen Valley pilot park. Poster awards are given for the best student contributions in each challenge area; the top prize is a 10 000 RMB travel grant to the 2025 World Hydrogen Technologies Convention. The symposium closes with a site visit to the 100 MW Zhangjiakou wind-to-hydrogen plant operated by Sinopec Star. Registration is by invitation only; interested parties must submit a one-page abstract and CV before 30 June.