The 2nd China-CEEC Forum for Young Science & Technology Talents is held in east China's Ningbo city on May 19. (PHOTO: ZHONG Jianli)

By ZHONG Jianli

An initiative was launched to promote exchanges between young sci-tech experts of China and Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs), during the 2nd China-CEEC Forum for Young Science & Technology Talents in east China's Ningbo city on May 19.

Themed "Innovative Youth Share the Future," the forum aimed to accelerate innovation cooperation between China and CEECs through young sci-tech talent.

Sun Jian, speaking at the forum on behalf of Zhang Guangjun, vice minister of science and technology, said young talent is the fresh blood for sci-tech innovation and global development, so it's necessary to deepen cooperation between youth in different disciplines from different countries.

Ivica Šušak, state secretary of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia, holds similar views. He said both China and CEECs are facing the three challenges of modernization, environmental protection and economic revitalization through technological innovation. International cooperation can make it easier for countries to obtain information and resources to solve these problems.

In his keynote speech, Li Xin, deputy director-general of the Department of Foreign Expert Service of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), introduced China's efforts to facilitate young people in international exchanges by providing various kinds of programs, so as to tap the potential of global youth.

Young experts read the initiative to promote exchange and cooperation of young sci-tech talent between China and CEECs. (PHOTO: Ningbo Science and Technology Bureau)

During the forum, the China-CEEC Innovation Cooperation Research Center announced an initiative to promote exchange and cooperation of young sci-tech talent between China and CEECs, which proposes to foster mutually beneficial cooperation, build open channels of communication, enrich the global innovation network, and gather the power of youth for sci-tech innovation.

In addition, an award ceremony was held for winners of the 1st China-CEEC Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition. Earlier, 27 teams from China and CEECs participated in the final roadshows of their projects, covering three major fields of digital innovation, life and health, and advanced materials.

Zeljko Kanovic, an associate professor at Serbia's University of Novi Sad, whose team won a third prize, told Science and Technology Daily that it was a great experience cooperating with his Chinese partners and taking part in the competition, and he expects more exchanges between researchers of the two countries in future.