Engineering ties to spur growth, tackle challenges

The Chinese engineering community will collaborate with international peers to build engineering capability, train quality talent, promote socioeconomic growth via innovation, and tackle common global challenges, senior officials said on Friday on the occasion of the third annual World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development.

The international event was initiated by UNESCO in 2019 to celebrate engineers and engineering for their contribution to sustainable development and modern life.

This year's theme is "Build Back Wiser — Engineering the Future". It will feature a 24-hour live global broadcast, showcasing the unique character and achievements of engineers around the world, according to the event's official website.

Wan Gang, president of the China Association for Science and Technology, said during China's livestreamed event that the Chinese engineering community will use this opportunity to unite engineers across the world, and bring into play the key role engineering and technology can play in promoting global sustainable development.

Training quality engineering talent and launching major international scientific and engineering projects for managing climate change and public health are also key objectives of the global engineering community, he added.

The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics helped showcase state-of-the-art engineering technologies, from artificial intelligence to hydrogen-powered transportation. These contributed to holding successful and green Olympic Games, Wang said, adding the event can provide valuable insight for achieving sustainable development around the world.

Gong Ke, president of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations, said engineering is the practice of solving issues surrounding humanity's survival and development with science and management.

"Engineering technologies are the wings for mankind to achieve their dreams and fly to a bright and beautiful future," Gong said. This year, China will have over 10 million college graduates, with a high ratio of engineering graduates, he said.

This pool of engineers can support China's high-quality growth and serve as a key contributor to global sustainable development. It can also help build a community with a shared future for mankind, he said.

Huang Wei, president of the Federation of Engineering Institutions of Asia and the Pacific, said engineers can use their work to serve the economy, society, and solve global issues like climate change, energy crisis and environmental pollution.

This will require engineers around the world to be more open and collaborative, thus facilitate new innovations and solutions to these problems, he said.

Yan Jinxiu, president of the International Tunneling and Underground Space Association, said tunneling and underground engineering can contribute to several sustainable development goals, such as making cities safer and more inclusive, sustainable and resilient during and after natural disasters.

"More and more female engineers are playing a big role in fields that have been male-dominated, like tunnel engineering," she said. "I hope more women can become engineers and jointly contribute to the global development of engineering."