Chinese academicians: openness and cooperation to benefit all-under-heaven

Around 900 prominent engineers and young students from around the world are engaged in an intensive, three-day brainstorming campaign on the campus of George Washington University. 

The third Global Grand Challenges Summit marks mankind's effort to solve some of the most important engineering challenges of our times.

Deng Zhonghan introduces China's booming bike-sharing services at the 3rd Global Grand Challenges Summit in George Washington University from July 18 to 20, 2017. The Summit is organized by the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the US National Academy of Engineering and the UK's Royal Academy of Engineering. The purpose is to inspire the next generation of engineers, policymakers, and the public to address critically important engineering challenges and opportunities facing humanity. [Photo: China Plus/Luo Laiming]

Experts at the event are demonstrating the most cutting-edge progress they've achieved in their respective fields. Chinese Academic Deng Zhonghan impressed the crowd with a story about biking-sharing and how the Chinese re-invented "two-wheels."

"This success story of bike-sharing testified how problems can be solved through hardcore engineering, like many other examples in history, challenges are equal to opportunities, and grand challenges are equal to grand opportunities. As engineers like you and me, once we are engaged, solutions to these challenges can be found, and must be created and implemented. That's why engineers will always proudly play a leading role!"

Deng quotes an ancient Chinese saying about Tian Xia, or All-Under-Heaven, to illustrate the need for a consortium of entities to overcome the Grand Challenges. The same idea is also stressed by Zhou Ji, President of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, who gave opening remarks at the Summit.

"The soul of engineering lies in openness, our time calls for peace, development and win-win cooperation, we should strengthen international cooperation, learn from each other and inspire each other to promote the advancement and innovation of engineering and create a better future for all nations."

The Global Grand Challenges Summit is jointly organized by the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the US National Academy of Engineering and the UK's Royal Academy of Engineering.

Other interesting topics this year include virtual reality and artificial intelligence, deep learning, biomaterials for human health and anti-microbial resistance.