The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has been actively integrating into the global innovation network, highlighting information sharing and international cooperation, its president Bai Chunli said on Wednesday.
As a national scientific research organization, CAS has been accelerating its pace of "going out" and actively integrating into the international innovation network, regardless of the current backlash against globalization, said Bai at a press conference on the role of CAS in China's science and technology development.
During the battle against COVID-19, CAS, along with other Chinese research institutes, lost no time in analyzing and sharing the virus' first completed genome sequence, providing information for virus research, drug screening and vaccine development, said Bai.
CAS also used online platforms to share its latest COVID-19 research proceedings. The 2019 Novel Coronavirus Resource database under the China National Center for Bioinformation has amassed more than 100,000 entries containing information about the virus.
According to Bai, the database has thus far provided data services to more than 170,000 visitors from 175 countries and regions, and more than 120 million downloads have been recorded. More than 60 percent of visits are from foreign users.
CAS has also used the Alliance of International Science Organization (ANSO) as a platform to share the latest proceedings of CAS studies, supporting the global battle against COVID-19, Bai noted.
ANSO, launched in late 2018 under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), consists of scientific research organizations from countries participating in the BRI, as well as international organizations.
Bai added that through platforms like ANSO and the World Academy of Sciences, 1,200 overseas students have been granted funding to study in China, and more than 4,000 high-level sci-tech talents have been trained for countries and regions along the Belt and Road.
CAS has also built 10 overseas science and education centers in Belt and Road countries and regions, which have become significant platforms to carry out projects involving scientific collaboration.
Bai added that since 2018, CAS has been inking cooperation agreements with its foreign counterparts in countries like Russia, France and Germany.
CAS has also participated in large-scale international science projects. It supports the Square Kilometer Array, an international project to build the world's largest radio telescope. It also plays a significant role in ITER, the world's largest nuclear fusion experiment.
