The World Young Scientist Summit (WYSS) 2024 was successfully held on November 15-17 in Wenzhou, East China’s Zhejiang Province.
Since its inception in 2019, the summit has been held consecutively for six years in this city, jointly organized by the China Association for Science and Technology and the People's Government of Zhejiang Province. This year, it attracted nearly 800 representatives, comprising scientists, entrepreneurs, educators, and young scientific professionals from 71 countries and regions, as well as 63 international scientific organizations. The participants engaged in nearly 20 discussion and exchange activities centered around the theme “Youth Innovation: Fostering New Quality Productive Forces.”
Young scientists are characterized by their active thinking and keen insights, embodying a sense of responsibility and commitment that makes them the main force behind China's scientific and technological innovation.
In recent years, the Chinese government has been implementing a series of reform policies in science and technology education to continually enhance the training and support for young scientists, promoting their dedicated research, healthy growth, comprehensive development, and open collaboration.
Platforms such as the WYSS provide invaluable opportunities for young scientists to engage in intellectual exchanges with leading global scientists. This allows a broader range of young researchers to gain insights into cutting-edge scientific achievements and future development trends, thereby enhancing their knowledge and skills.
In recent years, the WYSS has established a growing number of platforms to foster regular communication among top scientific professionals. This year's summit marked a significant milestone with the official launch of the World Association of Young Scientists (WAYS).
As globalization accelerates and international scientific collaboration deepens, WAYS emerges as a dynamic, international, academic, and non-profit organization, representing a new model for scientific cooperation. Guided by its charter, WAYS focuses on uniting young scientists globally under the principle of "Technology for Good," driving innovation to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and advancing the vision of a shared future for humanity.
Each year, the WYSS attracts a large contingent of academicians and young scientists worldwide, positioning Wenzhou as a thriving hub for professionals and industry. Leveraging the summit’s momentum, Wenzhou has quietly transformed into a burgeoning center for global technological innovation, spearheading industrial chain transformation that benefits not only Zhejiang but the broader Yangtze River Delta region.
Data shows that the previous five conferences have helped Wenzhou establish connections with over 100 countries and international scientific organizations, attracting more than 400 top scientists and academicians from both China and abroad, and facilitating exchanges and cooperation for over 5,600 young scientists, entrepreneurs, and venture capitalists.
Currently, about 200,000 professionals of various kinds flow into Wenzhou each year, continuously invigorating local industries and promoting scientific research development. The key to Wenzhou's professional aggregation lies in its ability to showcase its development prospects and generous professional support policies through the WYSS.
For instance, the local government has introduced a range of tailored services to support young scientific professionals, addressing key needs such as housing and children’s education. To date, Wenzhou has provided over 3,000 housing units for professionals and facilitated more than 20,000 school enrollments for their children annually, benefiting a total of 752,000 professionals.
Many domestic and international scientists choose to further collaborate with Wenzhou after attending the WYSS, promoting the transformation and application of scientific achievements. This year, Wenzhou Medical University signed contracts with Oujiang Laboratory and 11 biomedical companies from across the country, establishing nine industry-education integration training bases, all aimed at accelerating the transformation of growth factor achievements.
As the spillover effects of the WYSS continue to expand, more young scientific professionals will write even more remarkable life stories and create exciting scientific and industrial achievements on the land of Wenzhou and even Zhejiang Province.
The WYSS itself is also expected to continue to grow and make more contributions to China to promote the exchange and cooperation among global young scientists, gathering wisdom and strength from the youth to help address global challenges.
Source: VOC
