On January 16, 2017, the 8th ASEAN+3 Student Camp & Teacher Workshop for the Gifted in Science were opened at Beijing No.35 High School. Carrying a theme of “Dreamer, Thinker, Maker”, the event was jointly sponsored by the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Department of International Affairs of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) and co-organized by the Youth Science Center of CAST, the China Association of Children‘s Science Instructors and Beijing No.35 High School, with support from the ASEAN Secretariat and the ASEAN+3 Center for the Gifted in Science. The event was attended by a total of 14 teams, nearly 100 junior middle school students and science teachers from ASEAN+3 members, including China, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Brunei and Cambodia, as well as from Sweden, Chinese Taipei and other observers. Vice-Minister Yin Hejun of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Executive Secretary Shu Wei of the Secretariat of CAST, Representative Sombounmy Phomtavong of the ASEAN Committee for Science and Technology, President SANG CHUN LEE of the ASEAN +3 Center for the Gifted in Science and Principal Zhu Jianmin of Beijing No.35 High School attended and addressed the opening ceremony. Representatives of diplomatic envoys of Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia and other ASEAN countries in China also attended the opening ceremony.

On behalf of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Vice Minister Yin Hejun welcomed the arrival of the guests, teachers and students and wished the event a complete success. He pointed out that country-to-country relations depend on the friendship between their peoples and people-to-people exchanges in science and technology are an important part of the ASEAN+3 cooperation. He also stressed that the foundation of a strong country is its strong youth, who are the most vibrant people full of dreams and are the creator and leading force of future. Vice-Minister Yin expressed the hope that all participants in the event could fully exchange views, be bold to innovate, learn from each other, make progress and promote friendship.

Executive Secretary Shu Wei said that as the leading non-governmental organization for international cooperation in science and technology in China, China Association for Science and Technology has long attached great importance to and actively supported international exchanges and cooperation in youth science education. He expressed the hope that the event could be taken as an opportunity for establishing a bridge of friendship to foster mutual exchanges and learning among young friends in all the countries and regions within the ASEAN+3 framework, make joint contributions to the advancement of the science education program for young people in the ASEAN+3 region and pass on the fine tradition of friendly cooperation from generation to generation.

During the event, young contestants, by fully leveraging their imagination, creativity and artistic expression capability, worked in groups to design and make scientific, innovative and practical work for trophies in the five areas of bridge design & making, model airplane design & making, soccer robot adjustment, small rocket making, and 3D printing design in the science laboratories of Beijing No.35 High School under the instructions of their coaches. Based on specific national realities, attending science teachers also held discussions, made observations and exchanged views on how to innovate youth science education. The organizers have also invited outstanding youth science workers in China to deliver themed reports and made rich science cultural arrangements for young contestants to visit the China Science and Technology Museum, the Beijing Planetarium, the Great Wall and the Palace Museum.

The event will boost people-to-people exchanges and cooperation in youth science and technology, boost the mutual understanding and friendship between young people in the region, raise the regional profile of Chinese education in youth science and technology and play an active role in promoting the common development of the region and advancing the Belt & Road Initiative.