Beijing forum champions cultural diversity protection in science fiction

The 4th Creativity 2030 International Forum provided a platform dedicated to protecting cultural diversity and promoting sustainable development during this year's Zhongguancun Forum Annual Conference in Beijing on Saturday.

Shahbaz Khan, director of the UNESCO Multisectoral Regional Office for East Asia, delivered a video speech at the event, saying that this forum demonstrated the vital role of creativity and innovation in advancing sustainable development and preserving cultural diversity in the digital age.

He stressed the need to foster innovation in creative industries, particularly in fields like science fiction, by providing essential resources, network support and policy frameworks to stimulate the flourishing of creativity and robust growth.

The forum marked the 20th anniversary of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, which encouraged developing countries to enhance their capacity to protect and promote cultural diversity through dialogue and international cooperation. It is China's first project included in UNESCO's global celebration of the convention's 20th anniversary.

The Beijing Science and Technology Commission and the Zhongguancun Science Park Administrative Committee guided the forum with support from the Beijing Science and Technology Innovation Promotion Center. It was organized by the International Centre for Creativity and Sustainable Development under the auspices of UNESCO (Category 2).

Up to 150 representatives from 10 countries, including France, Germany and Austria, attended the forum.

In 2024, ICCSD launched a program to collect cases of protecting and promoting cultural diversity in the digital environment. Twenty exemplary cases were published at the event. These cases highlighted cutting-edge technological innovations like artificial intelligence, extended displays and big data, covering new technology applications in the cultural sector.

The cultural industry is expanding in the digital age, with new forms of cultural and technological integration, including science fiction, developing rapidly. Beijing alone hosts nearly 800 science fiction companies with a total annual revenue of 48 billion yuan ($6.6 billion), propelling the city's science fiction industry to new heights.