The 25th Annual Meeting of CAST set for Oct 22 to 24 in Anhui

BEIJING, October 11 (China Daily) - The China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) has announced its 25th annual meeting will be held from Oct 22 to 24. The theme of this year's meeting, "Leading with Innovation, Pursuing Self-reliance and Self-improvement - Creating a High-quality Cradle for Scientific and Technological Innovation", reflects its focus on fostering innovation and self-sufficiency. Co-organized by the CAST and the Anhui Provincial People's Government, the event will be held at the Hefei Binhu International Convention and Exhibition Center, with related activities to be held in neighboring cities such as Wuhu and Anqing.

Lou Wei, deputy director of the Service Center of CAST, emphasized that this year's meeting aims to be an all-encompassing, high-end academic exchange platform. It will serve to foster innovation among scientific and technological workers, act as a vital engine for boosting the cohesion of scientific and technological associations, and provide a practical venue for advancing high-quality economic and social development in Anhui province. Furthermore, the meeting endeavors to unite and lead the scientific and technological workers on a new journey, one that champions high-level self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology. 

The annual meeting is composed of the main forum, special forums, and local services, totaling 20 activities. The main forum, centering on the theme "Self-reliance and Self-improvement in Science and Technology", underscores the vital role of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance in building an innovative nation. Moreover, it showcases the scientific community's purpose and ethos in this new era as it embarks on a new journey.

The main forum will be held on the morning of Oct 22, releasing major scientific issues, engineering challenges, and industrial issues for 2023, as well as keynote reports. During the keynote report session, scientists will report on relevant topics such as the latest progress and future prospects of functional molecule and material research, the current status and future of China's deep space exploration, the development of strong lasers and accelerators, vaccine research and development innovation and public safety, the latest progress and future prospects of quantum technology, and the development of general artificial intelligence cognitive large models.

The special forums focus on the theme of "Academic Cross-border Integration". They are dedicated to implementing the strategic initiatives outlined in the 20th CPC National Congress report, which emphasizes enhancing basic research, promoting originality, and fostering a spirit of unrestrained exploration and innovation-driven development. They focus on international frontiers, major national natural science research needs, key areas of strategic emerging industry development, and key directions for high-quality development in Anhui province. The forums are the Deep Space Exploration High-end Seminar, the Catalytic Science High-end Academic Forum, the Quantum Technology Systematic Innovation Capability Summit Forum, the "Nuclear Fusion Energy Lights the Future" Forum, the International Green Aviation Development Forum, the Quality Infrastructure Services Science and Technology Innovation International Seminar, the Global Science and Technology Achievements Transfer and Transformation Summit Forum, the General Artificial Intelligence Industry Innovation and Development Forum, the Dual Carbon Strategy Empowering High-quality Development Summit Forum, the New Material Science and Technology and Industrial Development Forum, the New Generation Information Technology Empowering Digital Transformation Forum, the Bio-pharmaceutical Industry Development Summit Forum, the High-end Equipment Independent Innovation and High-quality Development Forum, the Scientific Research Instrument and Equipment Case Exchange Forum, and the 2023 Yangtze River Delta Integration Academician Forum. First-class scientists from home and abroad will be invited for academic discussions at the forums.

Furthermore, the 25th annual meeting of the CAST will rally over 70 national-level scientific associations to collaboratively organize activities spanning various disciplines, fostering cross-disciplinary interactions. The meeting will also facilitate the participation of these associations in activities with 84 prominent enterprises and financial institutions. This effort aims to establish a comprehensive platform for the convergence of industry, academia, and research, as well as the amalgamation of key innovation elements such as talent, technology, and capital. Additionally, the meeting will proactively engage and invite academicians, and renowned experts to participate in online or face-to-face dialogues and exchanges, covering nearly 20 foundational disciplines and areas of strategic emerging industries.