Some 800 gather at summit to provide solutions for development, cooperation

Elite, young scientists from around the globe hailed a congratulatory letter from President Xi Jinping in which he expressed his high hope that they will play a leading role in better promoting innovation and scientific and cultural exchanges worldwide.

In a congratulatory letter to the World Young Scientist Summit 2019, which opened Saturday in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, Xi said that in the flourishing, new scitech revolution and industrial transformation, it is the common aspiration of all countries to engage in sci-tech and cultural exchanges and promote cooperation on innovations among youthful researchers, in whose hands the future of science and technology lies.

Xi called on the participants of the summit to exchange ideas, learn from each other, build a solid foundation of friendship and strengthen the bond of cooperation.

He encouraged the young scientists and technology researchers to give full play to their ambitions and realize their dreams, so as to lead social and economic development with sci-tech innovation and create a better future for human development.

Shi Yigong, a biologist and president of Westlake University, said the essence of global competition today lies in science and technology, so it's vitally important for Westlake to train and cultivate top-notch young Chinese scientists and pioneers in their fields.

"It's the mission for scientists like me and the university to train leading innovative scientific talents in China," Shi said.

The research-oriented university, China's first private institute of higher learning geared toward cultivating high-level personnel in advanced technology, was approved by the Ministry of Education in February 2018 and held its founding ceremony on Oct 20 that year in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang.

Shi said the university has so far recruited a faculty of 105 outstanding young scientists - with an average age of 38 - from around the world.

Niels Jessen, a professor at Aarhus University in Denmark and winner of the Denmark Elite Research Prize 2019, had a similar message.

Young scientists, who tend to be more open-minded, are able to provide solutions for future development, he said, and better exchanges and cooperation among young scientists can advance their ability to innovate and make progress in their research.

The two-day event, which ended on Sunday, attracted over 800 participants from around the world. They included Nobel Prize winners, overseas academicians and experts, young scientists and representatives of international science and technology organizations. 

Xinhua contributed to this story.