Global Science and Technology Societies Exchange Ideas

The 6th World Forum on Development and Governance for Science and Technology Societies was held in Xiamen, Fujian province on November 7.(PHOTO: CAST) By LIANG Yilian & FU Xiaobo The 6th World Forum on Development and Governance for Science and Technology Societies was held in Xiamen, Fujian province, on November 7. Themed “Collaborate to Build a New Ecosystem of Innovation and Development,” the forum was organized by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) and Fujian provincial government. Meng Qinghai, vice president of CAST, said CAST has the largest group of scientific and technological workers in the world. “We are willing to work with our counterparts around the world to strengthen dialogue and exchanges (and) expand mutually beneficial cooperation,” he said. CAST is also ready to work with others to “seek solutions and innovative approaches, build a new ecology of academic exchanges, and obtain higher-quality scientific and technological achievements.” Lin Ruiliang, vice governor of Fujian, hoped that domestic and foreign science and technology communities and sci-tech experts can guide key core technology research, high-level innovation platform construction, and high-level scientific and technological talent cultivation. This would provide scientific and technological support for Fujian's high-quality development. Sudip Parikh, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), described the association’s new strategic vision in his video address: to develop “a boldly inclusive, mobilized, and global scientific community that ignites, enables, and celebrates scientific excellence and science-informed decisions and actions.” AAAS is ready to work with CAST and global partners to build and maintain an international scientific community based on shared values, such as openness, transparency and cooperation, to meet challenges, both current and future ones. Leaders of more than 30 science and technology associations, including the Korea-China Science & Technology Cooperation Center, Hong Kong Institution of Engineers and the Macau Institution of Engineers, had exchanges on the new reform of science and technology societies driven by open cooperation, digitization of science and technology societies and their youth leadership, as well as publication of high-quality journals. More than 400 people from science and technology societies and international organizations at home and abroad attended the forum. Editor： 林雨晨