导语：On 29 May 2023 Ambassador Suhadolnik held a welcome speech at the ZhongguancunForum, one of the most important science and technology conferences in China.
On 29 May 2023 Ambassador Suhadolnik held a welcome speech at the Zhongguancun Forum, one of the most important science and technology conferences in China.
This years ZGC forum was conducted under the theme "Open Cooperation for a Shared Future", which prompted Ambassador Suhadolnik to pose a question at the very beginning of her speech: How does one inspire or cultivate the spirit of cooperation? And what can Slovenia contribute to this discussion?
In her speech she outlined how Slovenian openess and curiosity about the world around them led Slovenians to connect with other nations, innovate and develop into one of the most complex economies in the world according to the Economic Complexity Index.
She emphasized the examples of transnational cooperation in science: from the Slovenian scientist Ferdinand Augustin Hallerstein who contributed to the development of Slovenian-Chinese relations through science; to the International Research Center on Artificial Intelligence (IRCAI): an institution operating under the auspices of UNESCO based in Ljubljana, Slovenia, focusing on using AI to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.
Slovenia is a country, which advocates a responsible, human-centered and human rights-based development of science beyond national borders and the Ambassador wished the participants of the forum fruitful and inspiring discussions keeping in mind the need to expand our points of views and upkeep transparent and open engagement with each other.
The ZGC forum hosted esteemed individuals from the field of both governance, Vice Mayor of Beijing Mr Yu Yingjie, Deputy Secretary-General of the Ministry of Science and Technology of PRC Mr He Defang, Ms Grace Carey, Minister Councellor at the British Embassy Beijing, as well brief video welcome introductions from individuals achieving excellence in the field of science and technology including Nobel Laureates in Psychology and Medicine Mr Thomas Südhof, Mr Edvard I. Moser and a Nobel Laureate in Physics Sir Konstantin S Novoselov.
Representatives of industry and business welcomed the guests, Mr Paul Burrows, Secretary General of the World Association of Industry and Technology Research Organizations; Mr Steven Inchcoombe, President of Research at Springer Nature and Mr Robin Peter Tensen, CEO of Global Technology Innovation Partnership.
The forum consisted of the signing ceremony of ZGC Global High Level Think Tank Alliance which was joined by 15 new members and 8 new developmental zones at local administration level across China.