The 24th Annual Meeting of the China Association for Science and Technology kicks off in Changsha

The 24th Annual Meeting of the CAST [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Co-hosted by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) and the People’s Government of Hunan Province, the 24th annual meeting of the CAST was launched on June 26, with the theme of "Innovation-led and self-reliance and self-strengthening, a new engine for the rise of the central region".

Several leaders of the CAST and the People’s Government of Hunan Province attended the opening ceremony. Also taking part in the event online or on-site were about 5,000 people including academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, famous experts and scholars, sci-tech workers, renowned entrepreneurs, guests from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, overseas professionals, representatives of scientific and technological organizations and journalists.

The 24th Annual Meeting of the CAST [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Wan Gang, Vice-chairman of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and President of the CAST, noted in his speech that the CAST and its all organizations should vigorously promote the spirit of scientists, practice science and technology into the revitalization of the country, push forward scientific innovation, improve the scientific literacy of society and gather energy for the self-reliance and self-improvement of high-level technology. The CAST should build a good ecosystem for collaborative innovation, inspiring innovation in industrial parks, cities, and industrial clusters. as well as the alliance of science and technology associations and collaborative community. The CAST should promote high-level cooperation and strengthen international sharing between talents, knowledge, technologies and data. The CAST should promote the maximization and optimization of the utilization efficiency of scientific resources through cross-field innovation, as well as activate the driving forces of global sci-tech innovation through high-level cooperation.

In recent years, Hunan Province has been serving national major strategies and people's well-being with sci-tech innovation, leading sci-tech workers and enterprises to push forward self-reliance and self-improvement of high-level science and technology. Wan said he hopes that Hunan Province can further use its advantages in innovation and support high-quality development.

Zhang Qingwei, Party secretary of Hunan Province, on behalf of the provincial Party committee and the provincial government, gave congratulations to the CAST on the holding of the Annual Meeting. He said that in recent years, Hunan has been placing sci-tech innovation in a highlighted position, matchmaking industrial needs, strengthening self-dependent innovation, optimizing innovation ecology and gathering talents all over the world, which have made many achievements in Hunan’s sci-tech development and the building of Hunan a Sci-Tech Innovation Hub. Hunan will take this annual meeting of the CAST as an opportunity, further deepening its cooperation with the CAST and domestic and overseas sci-tech circles and business circles, effectively connecting the nation’s sci-tech and intelligent resources, enhancing strategic sci-tech forces and accelerating the regional innovation capacity so that the province can get greater achievements in the construction of sci-tech highland with competitiveness.

The 24th Annual Meeting of the CAST [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Many experts and academicians gave keynote reports at the opening ceremony, such as Zhou Ji, academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, Yang Xuejun, president of Academy of Military Sciences and academician of CAS, Gao Hongjun, vice president of CAS and vice-president of the CAST and He Qinghua, president of Sunward.

This annual meeting has five sections involving 35 special events focused on “sci-tech innovation builds new pattern of development”, “ ‘Innovation China’ drives the rising of central China”, “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals lead the green development”, “Opening up and cooperation build the highland for innovative talents” and “Focus on sharing technology to serve for the people”. During the annual meeting, attendees will discuss major problems in science, engineering technology and industrial technology, the China Science and Technology Human Resource Development Study 2020 and the ranking of global sci-tech societies.

The 24th Annual meeting of the CAST will aim at highlighting innovation, gathering talents and using science and technology for the people, uniting and leading sci-tech workers to carry out a new development philosophy, national major development strategies and Hunan Provincial Three Highlands and Four New Missions Strategy.