An international delegation of the 2nd Belt and Road Teenager Maker Camp & Teacher Workshop visited Institute of Physics (IOP), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) on November 18. The event was organized by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) and the Ministry of Science and Technology. The delegation is composed of more than 70 international friends from the countries along the Belt and Road, and they are mainly officials from scientific and educational organizations and science teachers. The Party Committee of IOP received the delegation and arranged them to visit the history museum of IOP, the State Key Lab for Superconductivity, the Lab of Micro-fabrication, and the CAS Key Lab for Nanoscale Physics & Devices, and talk with young scientists at IOP. This event aims to enhance the communication between IOP and the countries along the Belt and Road from multiple levels, and seek opportunities for international exchanges.

Wei Hongxiang, Assistant Director of IOP, Head of General Affairs Department, and Director of Office of Party Committee, attended and addressed the event. He first extended warm welcome to the delegation, and then briefly introduced the history and development of IOP. He said that, over the past decades, IOP has shared the common fate with China. The current world is more internationalized than ever before. IOP has always been open for international exchanges, and is expecting more opportunities for common development with international friends in the future.

Later, Cheng Meng, Deputy Head of the General Affairs Department, reported the science popularization work at IOP. Prof. C. A. Palma and Prof. Fang Shaobo, on behalf of IOP young scientists, also gave thematic reports, which focused on the topical issues of their own research areas, and deeply impressed the audience with their detailed and simple accounts. In the free discussion session, which was the final session, the two sides closely exchanged their ideas on the topics they shared common interest. The event venue was filled with warm atmosphere, laughter and applause. During the event, three visitors from of the delegation granted gifts with special local characteristics from their home countries to IOP to symbolize the international spirits of friendliness and inclusiveness.

According to CAST, the number of countries that participated in the Belt and Road Teenager Maker Camp & Teacher Workshop of this year hit a record high. Adolescents and science educators from 29 countries including Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Czech, Indonesia, Iran, the Philippines, Vietnam, Australia, and Mexico attended this event. In addition, the directors from many international organizations including IAP SEP, ECO Science Foundation, and representatives from the United Nations Children's Fund and the African Academy of Sciences, also attended this event at their invitation.

The year 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up, as well as the 5th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Although the BRI was launched in China, it offers opportunities and creates benefits to the whole world. Scientific and cultural exchanges are an important part of the BRI, and will be a remarkable driving force for building a community of shared future for mankind. Guided by the national policy of deepening reform and opening-up, IOP will also proactively implement the strategy of innovation-drive development, and speed up the cause of developing China into a science and technology power.