At 19:30 (UTC+8 ) of April 24, 2024, the opening ceremony of the 8th Belt and Road International Innovation and Development Institute Network (ANSO BIDI) School was successfully held online. The event was organized by ANSO BIDI and the Beijing Association for Science and Technology, with strong support from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Alliance of International Science Organizations (ANSO),the Service System Engineering Branch of the Chinese Society for Systems Engineering, the Intelligent Decision Branch of the Management Science and Engineering Society, the Decision Intelligence Branch of the Chinese Society for Technology Economics, the IEEE Systems Council’s Analysis and Risk Technical Committee, and the IEEE Social and Economic Security Technical Committee. Over a hundred participants from more than a dozen countries, including Pakistan, Turkey, Mongolia, Armenia, Bangladesh, Montenegro, Laos, Egypt, Nigeria, Syria, Canada, Iran, and Uganda, joined the event.
Group Photo
Guo Lugang, Vice Chairman of the Beijing Association for Science and Technology; Mohammad Nafees Zakaria, Executive Director and Ambassador of the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS) of Pakistan; Hasan Mandal, President of the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK); Luis A. Seco, Professor of Mathematics and Computational Science at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Canada; and Avid Budeebazar, Academician and Secretary General of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, were among the distinguished guests who gathered online to deliver speeches on the theme of “Innovative Sustainable Development and Leadership Enhancement”. The opening ceremony was presided over by Wu Desheng, a distinguished professor at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences.
In his opening remarks, Professor Wu Desheng warmly welcomed the new participants from more than ten countries and regions along the Belt and Road, introduced the distinguished guests, and briefly outlined the agenda of the event.
Guo Lugang, Vice Chairman of the Beijing Association for Science and Technology, expressed his gratitude to Professor Wu Desheng and his team. He highlighted that the Beijing Association for Science and Technology is an outstanding organization that promotes technological advancement in Beijing, enhances scientific literacy, fosters international cooperation, and significantly contributes to the overall development of the city. The ANSO BIDI School platform brings together top scientists, researchers, and students from around the world to share knowledge, explore new ideas, and collaborate on addressing global challenges.
Speech by Guo Lugang
Mohammad Nafees Zakaria, Executive Director and Ambassador of COMSATS, congratulated the ANSO BIDI School on the successful organization of its previous seven sessions, aimed at fostering innovation, sustainable development, and leadership enhancement. He expressed COMSATS’ pleasure in collaborating with the project, highlighting that COMSATS had recommended 68 participants from Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Tanzania for this session. He extended a warm welcome to them and thanked the distinguished experts for sharing their valuable knowledge. In today’s world, where we face multifaceted and complex challenges, the path to sustainable development remains fraught with obstacles, especially for developing countries with limited resources and infrastructure. This situation calls for a proactive approach to technology-based solutions, with research, development, and innovation being key.
Speech by Mohammad Nafees Zakaria
Avid Budeebazar, Academician and Secretary General of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences, congratulated the ANSO BIDI School on the commencement of its new session and expressed hope that participants would benefit from the upcoming courses shared by international experts. He looked forward to the five major thematic courses on “Ecological Environment and Climate Change for Sustainable Development”, “Computer Engineering”, “Green Finance”, “Supply Chain Sustainability”, and the “IEEE Risk Summit”.
Speech by Avid Budeebazar
Hasan Mandal, President of TUBITAK, emphasized TUBITAK’s commitment to promoting green and sustainable transformation in collaboration with various institutions. Facing complex challenges and the need for sustainable human development, efforts must be united in areas such as resource efficiency, climate, energy, and food security. He encouraged participants to continue learning skills in innovation, sustainable development, and leadership to meet the demands of a challenging future and thanked the ANSO BIDI School for providing the relevant educational opportunities.
Speech by Hasan Mandal
Luis A. Seco, Professor at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, Canada, congratulated the ANSO BIDI School on the start of its eighth session. Following the opening ceremony, Professor Seco delivered a report titled “Sustainability, Technology, and the Birth of Social FinTech”, which was well-received by the participants.
Luis A. Seco’s Presentation