CAST Holds 27th Annual Meeting Main Forum

The 27th Annual Meeting of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) was held at the China Science and Technology Hall (CSTH) in Beijing on July 6, 2025.

Wan Gang, President of the CAST, attended the main forum and delivered a speech. He Junke, Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of CAST, presided over the forum.

In his speech, Wan Gang reaffirmed that both the strategic picture of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the changes in the world are accelerating.

Wan added that the strategic task of achieving high-level self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology and building a strong country in science and technology is becoming more urgent.

This year's annual meeting aims to keep pace with the cutting-edge development of world science and technology, set the goal of building a strong country in science and technology, exchange new theories, viewpoints and doctrines, and explore new fields, new tracks and new opportunities, noted Wan.

Wan noted that the CAST and its grassroots organizations will make efforts to keep pace with the cutting-edge trends in science and technology, enrich high-quality sci-tech supply, leverage the organizational advantages of cross-border integration, and carry out high-level science and technology consultation.

Wan advocated a pragmatic and open academic style and promoted efficient academic exchanges. He expressed his expectation that the sci-tech professionals attending the meeting would make good use of this platform to conduct extensive academic discussions and in-depth exchanges of innovative ideas.

At the main forum, the CAST released the final list of 2025 Top 10 Scientific, Engineering, and Industrial Challenges.

Pan Jianwei, Vice President of the CAST, and heads of several other academic societies, including Dai Qionghai, President of the Chinese Association for Artificial Intelligence (CAAI), Li Jiabiao, Vice President of the Chinese Society for Oceanography (CSO), Wan Jianmin, President of The Crop Science Society of China (CSSC) and Vice President of the China Association of Agricultural Science Societies, and Tan Tianwei, President of the China Renewable Energy Society, delivered keynote speeches on topics including quantum technology, artificial intelligence, deep-sea science and technology, seed industry revitalization, and bio-manufacturing respectively.

Nearly 500 participants, including academicians, experts, sci-tech professionals from national academic societies, international sci-tech organizations, universities, and research institutions, representatives of sci-tech professionals from the Hong Kong and Macao regions, CAST officials, and media representatives, attended the main forum on site.

At this important historical juncture when China is about to embark on the "15th Five-Year Plan", this year's CAST annual meeting, under the theme of "tracing the frontiers of science and technology and assisting innovative development", will last for a month, from July 1 to 31.

The CAST, in collaboration with national strategic sci-tech sectors and integrating various advantageous resources, has set up 98 thematic forums focusing on key areas including basic science, artificial intelligence, and life and health.

In addition, 4 parallel forums will be held, including a symposium for the Hong Kong and Macao sci-tech community to serve national innovation, a meeting between the CAST president and young sci-tech talents, a forum on China's sci-tech innovation development environment, and the 2025 China STM journal development forum.

The parallel forums will provide popular science interpretations of cutting-edge technologies, including quantum technology, release a list of the 100 most influential articles, perspectives, and reviews, as well as non-consensus issues to showcase China's latest achievements in science and technology to the public.

It will provide a platform to showcase the achievements and cooperative potential of all sectors of industry, academia, and research, especially small and medium-sized science and technology enterprises.

This year's annual meeting adheres to the principles of taking academic societies as the main body, academic themes as the main focus, and scholars as the main participants.

It advocates a realistic, pragmatic, and truthful academic style and encourages academic debates.

It follows the principles of being practical and economical, without holding opening or closing ceremonies, in order to avoid formalism. This will enable sci-tech professionals to focus all their energy on academic exchanges, focusing on national strategies, judging the cutting-edge trends, and exchanging ideas to contribute wisdom to innovation-driven development.

Tag: Department of Publicity and Culture of CAST