MINSK, 20 May (BelTA) - About 300 applications have been submitted to the second China-Belarus youth contest of research and innovation projects, including 195 from Belarus, Aleksandr Shumilin, Chairman of the State Committee on Science and Technology, said at the opening of the contest on 20 May, BelTA learned from the press service of the committee.
According to him, the largest number of projects are related to technical disciplines – a total of 66% of all applications. Humanities come second, followed by healthcare and pharmacy. “Belarus and China pay much attention to the development of youth entrepreneurship and innovative business. These sectors are the most mobile and flexible. The number of applications submitted this year confirms the demand for the event among talented young people. Such a contest is a long-term investment in the development of Belarusian-Chinese relations,” said Aleksandr Shumilin.
In his words, Belarus and China have been dynamically developing cooperation in a wide range of areas. The number and scale of joint scientific and technical projects are on the rise. “Over the past five years the number of Belarusian-Chinese projects has increased by more than 50%. Our scientists supported by the State Committee on Science and Technology and the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology successfully implement projects in microelectronics, optical and laser technologies, biotechnologies and new materials,” said the chairman of the committee.
Important strategic projects include the launch of the Chinese-Belarusian Innovation Center for Commercialization of Scientific and Technical Achievements and the Chinese-Belarusian Innovation Center of Industrial Technologies in the Great Stone Industrial Park. Work continues on the Chinese-Belarusian Technopark in Changchun. The technopark has welcomed three first residents: the Chinese-Belarusian Center for Research and Development of Precision Medical Equipment of BNTU Polytechnic Technopark and the Belarusian-Chinese Technopark in Changchun; the Belarusian-Chinese Center for Joint Development and Application of Carbon-Carbon Composite Materials by SvetlogorskKhimvolokno and Jilin Lenke Company; Belarusian-Chinese center for the development of functional berry crops between the Central Botanical Garden of the National Academy of Sciences, Polesskiну Zhuraviny and the Northeast Institute of Geography and Agricultural Ecology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
“To support bilateral interaction, we should focus on improving the conditions for mutually beneficial cooperation, expanding and deepening contacts, including among young people. This year, the State Committee on Science and Technology together with the Ministry of Science and Technology of China will announce a new contest of Belarusian-Chinese sci-tech projects for 2022-2023. I invite young scientists from Belarus and China to submit their projects, and we will support the best of them financially,” added Aleksandr Shumilin.
The second Chinese-Belarusian youth contest of research and innovation projects is underway in Minsk on 20-21 May. It involves students, graduate students, postgraduate students and young scientists with presentations of their projects in such categories as information technology, engineering and metallurgy, environment, agriculture, healthcare and educational technology. The organizers of the contest are the Chinese Embassy in Belarus, State Committee on Science and Technology, Education Ministry, Belarusian National Technical University, the university's Confucius Institute of Science and Technology, and the BNTU Polytechnic Technopark.
