On August 8th, the opening ceremony of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) 8th Training Course for Potential Service and Employment in International Organizations was held at the South Campus of the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) . This event was co-hosted by the Bureau of International Co-operation at CAS and USTC,and was organized by the School of Public Affairs (PAS), aiming to raise international communication competence of faculty and researchers.
Participants included YANG Jinlong, USTC president assistant; ZHUANG Yan, deputy director of the organizational department of Bureau of International Co-operation,CAS; DONG Qi, researcher of the Bureau of International Co-operation at CAS; CHU Jianxun, deputy dean of PAS and trainees, students and teacher delegates of USTC. The ceremony was hosted by SONG Wei, dean of PAS.
President assistant YANG Jinlong delivered a welcoming speech on behalf of USTC, then congratulated and warmly greeted all leaders, trainees and professors. As China continues to attract attention from the international community, it becomes necessary to boost the country’s influence through scientific and technological diplomacy. This would also advance China’s global S&T standing and promote national interests. YANG expressed his hopes that all trainees can raise their international communication competence and master the necessary ability of promoting China through this initiative. Moreover, trainees can learn how to work and lead in a global environment, thus developing their leadership skills and participation in international organizations.
Deputy Director ZHUANG Yan also emphasized the importance and necessity of this program. Chinese S&T professionals are facing new opportunities and challenges due to the changing world situation. In his opinion, the percentage of Chinese employment in international organizations did not proportionally match Chinese contributions. As a result, ZHUANG underlined the importance of education and work experience, which would in turn allow participants to see S&T innovation from a different perspective. He also noted the significance of strengthening China’s voice on the world stage which would assist in aligning S&T development with global trends. Deputy Director ZHUANG Yan praised the achievements of past training programs and the efforts of USTC and PAS. He wished success to the 8th Program and hoped that all participants would not only gain knowledge but also long lasting friendships.
HAO Jian, a trainee from the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute at CAS, spoke as the trainee representative. He thanked USTC and the Bureau of International Co-operation at CAS for offering the precious opportunity. In addition, he thanked PAS supporting staff for organizing the event. He guaranteed that all trainees would be able to successfully apply the valuable skills learned from this training program to their future careers.
The Training Course for Potential Service and Employment in International Organizations has been successfully held at USTC for 7 years. This year the course has more advanced teaching facilities and provides more practice exercises, which follows government orders of “striving to build S&T power in China”. It is a two-week closed program. Both in-class courses and outdoor activities are scheduled in the program to help trainees with their overall development. This training course intends to cultivate diplomatic talents who excel at operational activities, management, English and leadership, as well as other applicable skills.
(FANG Yuan, The School of Public Affairs, USTC)
