In order to strengthen scientific and technological collaborations within the scope of the Belt and Road Initiative, the “Founding General Assembly of the Alliance of International Science Organizations (ANSO) in the Belt and Road Region” and the “Second International Science Forum of National Scientific Organizations on the Belt and Road Initiative” were organized on 3-5 November 2018 in Beijing.
At the “Founding General Assembly of the Alliance of International Science Organizations (ANSO) in the Belt and Road Region” that was held on 3 November 2018, national science academies, universities and international organizations were represented at the highest level. The President of TUBITAK, Prof. Hasan Mandal participated to the event and signed the Membership Agreement that enabled TUBITAK become one of ANSO’s founding members.
The official inauguration ceremony of ANSO was organized on 4 November 2018 with the participation of its 36 founding members. ANSO mainly aims at achieving sustainable development in the Belt and Road region through international collaborations in the field of science and technology. Regarding this purpose, several parallel sessions were organized under the “Second International Science Forum of National Scientific Organizations on the Belt and Road Initiative” and allowed the participants to discuss the steps to take under the umbrella of ANSO.
Prof. Mandal delivered a speech both at the parallel session “Innovation and Sustainable Belt and Road” and at the Closing Panel. In the parallel session on “Innovation and Sustainable Belt and Road”, Prof. Mandal mentioned about Turkey’s vision on science, technology and innovation and having provided information on national and international programs carried out by TUBITAK, he expressed the possible benefits of those programs to the Belt and Road Initiative. Regarding this, in his speech at the Closing Panel, Prof. Mandal referred to the 2023 Vision of our country and mentioned about TUBITAK’s Industrial Doctorate Program and Individual Young Entrepreneurs Support Program and stated that designing similar programs under ANSO would be significant and useful for the initiative.
Within the framework of the event, Prof. Mandal also visited the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institutes of Science and Development (CASISD) and had a meeting with the President of CASISD, Prof. Jiaofeng Pan. At the meeting, Prof. Mandal and Prof. Pan discussed and agreed about a roadmap to follow with the purpose of activating the existing Cooperation Agreement between TUBITAK and CASISD.
23.11.2018