Experts call for cross-boundary cooperation to face up global challenges

At the Second Global Grand Challenges Summit, which opened Tuesday, attendees called for interdisciplinary cooperation to address global challenges.

"Addressing complex global challenges requires innovation and cooperation from engineers, policy-makers, economists and sociologists; all of humankind," said Zhou Ji, president of Chinese Academy of Engineering.

The two-day summit, jointly held by China, U.S. and U.K. engineering academies, focuses on sustainability; restoration and improvement of urban infrastructure; health; joy of living; energy; education; and security and resilience.

Dame Ann Dowling, president of the Royal Academy of Engineering, U.K.,sent her regards to the summit through a video clip. Echoing Zhou, she hoped the summit could break boundaries, and forge a powerful interdisciplinary team to face global changes.

Andrew K.C. Chan, chair of the Trustees' Board of the Arup Group, a multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy firm, called for redefining learning programs, stepping outside disciplinary boundaries, and work across cultures and countries to meet the challenges.

More than 800 engineers, scholars, entrepreneurs and university students from around the world attended the summit to discuss the pressing challenges that threatens survival or quality of life. Students of Tsinghua University, Peking University and Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics were also invited to attend the summit via online video conference systems.

We hope to engage young people worldwide to become the next generation of engineering leaders, said C. D. Mote, Jr., the president of the National Academy of Engineering, the United States.

During the summit, the word "challenge" was most frequently mentioned. Though it could cause problems and deep concerns, many speakers were optimistic.

Jack Ma, founder of China's e-commerce giant Alibaba, who shared his how he became an Internet company leader from an English teacher, believes that challenges means opportunity. He spoke about the power of "data" and the opportunity it offered to unleash creativity and intelligence, and benefit the entire human race.

Wan Bentai, chief engineer of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, saw scientific and technological innovation as an opportunity to tackle sustainable development.

Wan said, "Ecological innovation is very likely to promote environmental governance, resource reclamation and environmental remediation."

The First Global Grand Challenges Summit was hosted in London in 2013. The next summit will be in the United States in two-years time. Live webcasting will be streamed worldwide throughout the summit, on People.cn and CAE.cn. Endit