On October 19, twenty world-class scientists and science engineering managers gathered at Yanqi Lake of Huairou District in Beijing to attend the Second International Comprehensive Science Center Seminar and set up the Beijing Huairou Comprehensive National Science Center Expert Committee.

According to officials, the science center was approved by the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Science and Technology in May last year. It will play a vital role for Beijing in building its science and technology innovation center with global influence, and implementing the innovation-driven development strategy.

Joel Mesot, Director of the Paul Sher Institute of Switzerland, extended his congratulations on the establishment of the center, believing that this is a remarkable project.

"‘Comprehensive' is a crucial concept, signifying that different technologies can be combined," he said. "The key point is to work together and learn from each other, and learn how to manage and operate the center, and a long-term vision for the future is also essential," Mesot stressed.

Andrew Taylor, Executive Director of the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in the UK, remarked that, "I'm excited about the scale and vision of building such a comprehensive national scientific research center. Moreover, in light of experience from other countries, we need such a project to transfer technology from one field to another."

In his view, there are two types of science: applied and pure science, and pure science means that the science still waiting to be applied, so the purpose of building a science center is to put the results of basic research into application and solve practical problems.

Wolfgang Marquardt, director of the German Lich Research Center, recommended that the integration of research technologies and infrastructure should focus on meeting demands; and the design of research facilities must endure changes in the future. "That's because after the facilities are completed, the scientific problems, infrastructure and the operating environment will change over time." He said.