The 2025 World Science and Technology Development Forum (WSTDF 2025), hosted by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), opened in Beijing on October 27. Over 120 international guests from 33 countries and regions, as well as 36 international and national scientific and technological organizations, attended the forum.

Under the theme “AI for Science and Development,” the WSTDF 2025 upholds the common values of humanity and the principle of science and technology for good. Guided by the four global initiatives, namely Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Global Civilizations Initiative and Global Governance Initiative, the forum aims to enhance openness and mutual trust within the global sci-tech community and promote international collaboration in scientific and technological innovation.

In his opening address, Wan Gang, President of CAST and Chair of the WSTDF 2025, put forward three proposals: pooling strengths for innovation to lead the transformation of scientific research paradigms; promoting cross-sector integration to empower economic and social transformation; and deepening exchanges to foster openness and cooperation in science and technology. He called on the global sci-tech community to stay committed to intelligent, green and integrated development, deepen the convergence of emerging technologies with the economy and society, and empower industries such as manufacturing, agriculture, logistics, consumption, healthcare, education, and poverty reduction. This effort aims to accelerate the development of new quality productive forces, making scientific and technological innovation a core driver for systemic change in the economy and society.

Distinguished speakers included Dr. Salvatore Aricò, CEO of the International Science Council; Professor Lena Halounová, President of the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing; Bill Moran, Publisher of the Science Journals at the American Association for the Advancement of Science; and Mr. Imraan Patel, Deputy Director-General for Research Development Support at South Africa’s Department of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Thematic reports were presented by Professor Nicholas B. Dirks, President and CEO of the New York Academy of Sciences and recipient of the 2024 Chinese Government Friendship Award; Guo Huadong, Director General of the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals and member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Professor Manzoor Hussain Soomro, Founding President of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Science Foundation and recipient of the 2020 Chinese Government Friendship Award; Wang Jian, Director of Zhejiang Lab, Founder of Alibaba Cloud, and member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Professor Michael Meadows, Professor of the School of Geography and Ocean Science at Nanjing University, and Past President of the International Geographical Union; and Wu Tian, Vice President of Baidu Group and Deputy Director of the National Engineering Research Center for Deep Learning Technology and Application.

The opening ceremony featured the release of five significant outcomes, showcasing cooperation between Chinese and the international scientific community in cutting-edge fields such as sustainable development, hydrogen energy, intelligent manufacturing, and open science. The outcomes included the 2025 IUPAC Top Ten Emerging Technologies in Chemistry, Global-Scale Sustainable Development Scientific Monitoring Report 2025: A Decade of Progress through the Lense of Big Earth Data, Research on the Application of AI Technology in the Hydrogen Energy Field, two association standards titled “Template for Smart Manufacturing Use Cases” and “Intelligent Manufacturing—Application Guideline for New Technologies” respectively, and the open knowledge and data sharing platform OpenforScience.

The three-day forum features 10 parallel sessions covering frontier areas, such as “Embodied Intelligence: The Integration of AI and Robots”, “International Symposium on Intelligent Manufacturing”, “Simulation: New Momentum of Advanced Manufacturing”, “Promoting Green Hydrogen Applications to Provide an Ideal Pathway for Deep Decarbonization in Modern Production and Life”, “Towards a Sustainable Future: The Application of Mesoscience in Addressing Global Challenges”, “Addressing the Challenge of Biological Consequences of Global Changes”, “Digital Earth Supporting Sustainable Development”, “One Health in Rapid Urbanization”, “Open Science: Prospects for Global Collaboration”, and “Young Scientists Dialogue: Pathways to a Career in Science Diplomacy”. Supporting events organized during the Forum, including the opening ceremony of the World Laureates Forum and the China-Russia Engineering and Technology Forum, further expanded international sci-tech cooperation.

Launched by CAST in 2019, the World Science and Technology Development Forum has consistently adhered to its purpose of enhancing openness, trust, and cooperation within the international sci-tech community throughout the past seven editions. It is becoming a crucial platform for building consensus, exchanging ideas, and deepening collaboration.

The event is one of a series of activities organized for the CAST International Month 2025: Openness, Cooperation, Trust. Held under the theme “S.T.I. Bridges, Humanity Orients,” International Month 2025 brings international science and technology organizations, local governments, national societies, and provincial associations together to deepen dialogue and expand cooperation between Chinese and international scientists for shared progress.

Sources: gmw.cn, VOC