World Science and Technology Development Forum
Artificial intelligence (AI), climate change, smart manufacturing… The major concerns of the current international science and technology community were extensively discussed during the three-day World Science and Technology Development Forum (WSTDF) held from Tuesday to Thursday in Beijing.
With the theme “Science and Technology for the Future,” the forum attracted more than 350 scientists from 33 countries and regions, including Nobel Prize laureates, officials, and representatives from the United Nations and other international organizations, to exchange insights on solutions for global sustainable development.
The forum was initiated by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) in 2019. That year, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the inaugural forum, expressing his hope that the forum would evolve into a platform that facilitates consensus-building, idea exchanges, and deepened cooperation among global scientists, educators and entrepreneurs, contributing to global development.
Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang on Wednesday met with a group of foreign scientists attending this year’s forum. Ding said that China will steadfastly advocate and practice open, fair, just and non-discriminatory international cooperation in the field of science and technology.
Deepened international exchange and cooperation, and the promotion of sustainable development through sci-tech innovation are urgently needed to address important global issues, and to meet the expectations of the global sci-tech community and people in all countries, Ding said.
“The more complex the international environment is, the more open China will be,” Ding said.
“Over the last five years, the forum has actively built a platform for civil technological exchanges and continuously helped expand international technological cooperation. This platform not only embodies the world’s shared vision for technological progress, but also carries the global common dream for the diversity of global civilizations and the sustainable development of humanity,” President of CAST Wan Gang, who is also the chairman of WSTDF 2024, said in his speech at the opening ceremony of the forum on Tuesday.
Looking into the future, we hope that everyone will continue to share insights and wisdom in the spirit of “working together for a common goal,” with a philosophy of win-win cooperation and open and inclusive mindset, contributing technological strength and solutions for global sustainable development, and jointly promoting the construction of a community of shared future for mankind, Wan noted.
Executive Vice Chairman of WSTDF 2024 and Executive President of CAST He Junke hosted the opening ceremony.
Foreign scientists visit an exhibition during the opening ceremony of the WSTDF 2o24 on October 22, 2024. Photo: Chen Tao/GT
Innovative governance for AI
AI governance was one of the two major topics of global attendees at this year’s forum.
On the first day of the forum, a thematic session on “AI Governance Innovation: Building an International Trust Foundation for Cultivating the Ecology of Science and Technology Governance” was held to share the latest technological trends, industrial applications, and scenario expansions. The session also focused on technology governance, enhancing consensus and mutual trust, and promoting the formation of a collaborative effort for global AI governance.
The session coincided with newly heightened global attention on the regulation and ethical use of AI, reflecting the deep contemplation of various countries, regions, and international organizations on the balance between technological innovation and security.
In his speech, Wan urged the international science and technology community to prioritize research on AI-driven science. He emphasized the importance of leveraging AI to foster high-quality development and called for collaborative efforts to enhance the convergence and coordination of relevant laws, regulations, standards, and norms.
“Innovation drives development. The world is currently experiencing an unprecedented period of technological innovation. In particular, AI technologies, represented by large models, are advancing rapidly and leading a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation. The WSTDF brings together experts and scholars from the fields of science, industry, and education to exchange ideas and build consensus. This is of great significance for promoting cooperation and sharing, as well as jointly advancing innovative development,” Wang Haifeng, chief technology officer of Baidu and head of the National Engineering Research Center of Deep Learning Technology and Application, told the Global Times.
The recent announcement of the 2024 Nobel Prizes marked a historical moment, as both awards in Physics and Chemistry were awarded to achievements related to AI, heralding the dawn of an AI-driven era in scientific discovery.
As AI continues to engage with and empower various industries, its intersection and integration with an increasing number of disciplines are poised to bring about transformative changes in scientific research paradigms. I believe that future Nobel Prizes will increasingly recognize contributions related to AI. This prestigious acknowledgment will draw greater attention and resources to the field, further accelerating the rapid advancement of AI technology. Ultimately, this progress will yield more sophisticated technologies that enhance human life and promote societal advancement, Wang noted.
Executive Vice President of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations Ashok Kumar Basa echoed Wang while emphasizing security management over AI technologies.
“The benefits of AI are innumerable. AI can drastically transform lifestyles. The life will be much easier. But what I am rather emphasizing is, when we are excited about the help from AI, let us not forget the danger it can pose with the example of a nuclear bomb. That’s a word of caution,” Basa told the Global Times.
A foreign scientist (center) plays a Luban lock, a traditional Chinese folk educational toy, during the opening ceremony of the WSTDF 2024 on October 22, 2024. Photo: Chen Tao/GT
Interdisciplinary cooperation for climate change
Jiao Nianzhi, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and chief scientist at the Global Ocean Negative Carbon Emissions (Global ONCE), introduced the indispensable role of oceans in regulating the Earth’s climate, and the Global ONCE program’s aim and prospects during a thematic session on Interdisciplinary Science-Based Solutions Towards Sustainable Development on Wednesday.
Covering 71 percent of the Earth’s surface and possessing a carbon reservoir nearly 50 times larger than the atmospheric carbon reservoir, oceans are crucial in mitigating global warming through carbon absorption and heat regulation. However, intensified human activities are putting unprecedented pressure on marine ecosystems, leading to issues such as ocean acidification and biodiversity loss, which directly affect the ocean’s carbon absorption capacity. Therefore, protecting and restoring the ocean’s negative emission capacity has become a critical direction in addressing climate change, according to Jiao.
Against this backdrop, the interdisciplinary integration of marine disciplines with others has become an inevitable trend. Cross-disciplinary research among marine science, environmental science, ecology, economics, engineering, and other fields can not only broaden and deepen our understanding of marine negative emission mechanisms, but also drive technological innovation, leading to more efficient and sustainable carbon reduction and carbon sequestration solutions. This interdisciplinary collaboration mode can not only foster the creation of new productive forces but also provide new ideas for global sustainable development.
Empowered by the idea of “interdisciplinary integration to create new productive forces,” the Global ONCE program aims to gather the wisdom of top scientists and engineers worldwide, leveraging the advantages of interdisciplinary integration to deeply explore the processes and mechanisms of ocean negative emissions and develop a comprehensive ocean negative emission solution based on Chinese practices, while aiming for global promotion. This solution will cover various aspects such as pollution reduction, carbon reduction, carbon sequestration, actively promoting the establishment and implementation of international standards, achieving international consensus, and striving for an international voice, seeking synergistic effects to provide powerful scientific and technological support for a global response to climate change, according to Jiao.
The Global ONCE program, launched by Jiao, is part of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-30).
Addressing climate change and achieving global sustainable development are long-term and arduous tasks. The Global ONCE is not only a scientific exploration process, but also carries the expectations and responsibilities of all sectors of society for the protection of the shared future for mankind. I believe that through joint efforts, we will overcome many difficulties and jointly create a better, harmonious, and sustainable future, Jiao stressed.
International coordination for shared tomorrow
Since its establishment in 2019, the WSTDF has continuously played a positive role in promoting international technological exchanges and enhancing technological innovation capabilities.
In recent years, the unstable trade environment and escalating political tensions within the international community have hindered prospects for international technological cooperation. In this context, countries around the world must enhance open collaboration in science and technology. With its timing, the WSTDF 2024 is playing an active role in global governance, fostering international technological exchange and cooperation, and collectively addressing both opportunities and challenges. It offers valuable insights into current trends in technological development and exemplifies China’s commitment to an innovation-driven development strategy, as well as its vision of building a community of shared future for mankind, guests told the Global Times.
Director of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Regional Office for East Asia Shahbaz Khan deemed that this year’s WSTDF could help promote science and technology for sustainable development, especially for the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development (2024-33) proclamation the UN announced in August, while also promoting shared prosperity and people-to-people exchanges around the world.
As a leading country in science and technology, China has engaged in extensive exchanges and cooperation with numerous countries and international organizations, striving to ensure that technology benefits all of humanity and demonstrating an open and inclusive attitude along with a determination to tackle global challenges together.
These efforts help provide what is absolutely necessary to build a base for developing countries in the Global South to progress to the next level of development. UNESCO is very proud to partner with China, Khan told the Global Times.
The forum will further enhance the international community’s consensus on technological cooperation and promote the in-depth sustainable development of international technological cooperation. At this stage, it is especially important to help the international scientific and technological community better understand China’s concept of international scientific and technological cooperation. A China-hosted event like the WSTDF will further promote China’s “three global initiatives” and the concept of building a community of shared future for mankind, thereby forming a better atmosphere for international scientific and technological collaboration, Liang Huaixin, an expert in international relations from the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times.
‘Science and technology for the future’
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