On December 6, 2010, a symposium on the tenth anniversary of the China Engineering Science and Technology Forum was held by the Chinese Academy of Engineering. State Councilor Madame Liu Yandong, also Member of the Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee, attended and addressed the symposium. Mr. Wan Gang, Vice Chairman of CPPCC National Committee, also China s Minister of Science and Technology, together with CAE Honorary Chairmen Song Jian and Xu Kuangdi, were also present at the symposium. The symposium was chaired by CAE President Zhou Ji.
Madame Liu sang high praise for the important role China Engineering Science and Technology Forum had played in the past decade in leading scientific and technological innovation, supporting government s policy-making and cultivating talents in China. Liu also expressed her hope that CAE should strive to make it a renowned brand name for academic activities in the world.
On the symposium, five CAE Members Shen Guofang, Zhu Gaofeng, Yin Ruiyu, Fan Shoushan and Chen Junshi made summaries and reviews over several forums which they had been responsible for respectively, namely, water resources forum, 3G communications technology forum, engineering philosophy forum, nanotechnology forum, and food safety forum.
CAE Member Shen Guofang said that it was at this forum that the notion of harmonious development between human beings and the nature was proposed, which was quite early. CAE Member Zhu Gaofeng said in his presentation that facts had proved that 3G communications technology in China couldn t be vigorously developed without the promotion of the forum.
CAE Member Fan Shoushan pointed out that the fact that nanotechnology in China could stand in the forefront in the international community should also attribute to the forward-looking discussion at this forum. All the academicians thought highly of the China Engineering Science and Technology Forum and its leading academic role in practice.
Xu Kuangdi said China Engineering Science and Technology Forum had become the most influential brand of all academic activities organized by CAE, which had exerted positive influence over the promotion of the development of engineering science and technology in China, as well as the cultivation of young scientist and engineers.
He also said that, China Engineering Science and Technology Forum is different from other popular science forums or professional academic lectures, which should highlight one word that is discussion . Xu said we should encourage young and talented scientist and engineers to participate in the discussion actively, air their opinions enthusiastically.
Besides, we should invite more of the young and middle-aged experts to be making their presentations on this platform, and possibly ask academicians to make comments accordingly, thus play its due function of incubating innovation, triggering new technologies, expanding scientific horizons and deepening scientific understanding in a relaxed and open academic atmosphere through effective interaction.
China Engineering Science and Technology Forum was initiated by CAE in year 2000, and a total of 107 forums have already been held, in which more than 500 CAE Members and over 1,000 young science and technology specialists, together with over 20,000 engineering science and technology personnel participated in the past ten years. With its objectives set on promoting the research efforts for major direction-determining and forefront issues in the engineering science and technology field, improving the engineering scientific and technological innovation capability and management level, providing a platform for experts in the engineering scientific and technological community, esp. young science and technology talents to present their thoughts and encouraging the growth of elite ones among them, the forum has played significant roles in leading the academic world and cultivating personnel in China. In addition, the forum has greatly promoted the development of emerging technologies and disciplines like bio-chip, the third generation mobile communications, nano-materials and regenerative medicine, which also has provided academic suggestions and proposals of great value for numerous fields such as energy, steel and food safety. (From People Daily , by Zhao Zhuqing, December 6, 2010; translated by Liu Chang)
