The International Research and Training Center for Science and Technology Strategy (CISTRAT) under the Auspices of UNESCO, a UNESCO Category 2 center established at CASTED under the support of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, UNESCO and the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, held a “Golden Autumn” series of events from October 18 to November 6, 2015.

On the morning of October 19, Cao Jianlin, Chair of the Governing Board of CISTRAT and Vice Minister of Science and Technology of China, chaired the third meeting of the 1^st Governing Board of CISTRAT. The meeting opened with Hu Zhijian, Governing Board member and Executive Director of CISTRAT and President of CASTED, delivering the Report of CISTRAT Work in 2013-2014 and Work Plan for 2015-2016, which was discussed, deliberated and adopted by the Governing Board members present. Other members of the Governing Board included Hans Dencker Thulstrup, Programme Specialist for Natural Sciences of the UNESCO Beijing Office (representing Flavia Schlegel, Assistant Director-General for the Natural Sciences Sector of UNESCO), Nicholas Ozor, Executive Director of African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS), Ana Maria Cetto, former Deputy Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, former Secretary-General of the International Council for Science, and professor at the Institute of Physics at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Zhou Jiagui, Deputy Secretary-General of Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, Mu Rongping, Director of the Center for Innovation and Development of CAS, and Li Zhengfeng, deputy dean of Tsinghua University School of Social Sciences. Yoslan Nur, UNESCO Programme Specialist, Division of Science Policy and Capacity Building, Natural Sciences Sector, and Wang Fenyu, Vice President of CASTED, attended the meeting as nonvoting delegates.

On the afternoon of October 19, CISTRAT convened an international symposium on “Innovation and Transformation of Developing Economies in the Context of Globalization”. At the meeting, Hu Zhijian, President of CASTED and Executive Director of CISTRAT, Nicholas Ozor, Executive Director of African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS), Liang Zheng, assistant director of China Institute for Science &Technology Policy (CISTP) at Tsinghua University and associate professor of Tsinghua University School of Public Policy and Management, Ana Maria Cetto, professor at the Institute of Physics at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Liu Yulin, professor and dean of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences School of Economics and Management, and Yoslan Nur, UNESCO Programme Specialist, gave keynote speeches on topics including China’s innovation-driven development strategy and policy trends, analysis of China’s priority areas of S&T development based on survey of patents, China’s manufacturing sector from the perspective of other developing countries, STI as a driver of Africa’s transition to knowledge economy, reverse knowledge flow and its impact on innovation in developing countries, and strategies and actions taken by UNESCO to foster the innovation environment of developing countries. After the keynote session, the guests communicated with the audience of more than 40 members from eight developing countries.

From October 18 to November 6, CISTRAT held its fourth international training class. The training class on “STI Policy Research and Methods: Improving National Capability of STI Assessment” enrolled 15 foreign trainees from the S&T regulators or research institutes of seven countries including Cuba, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Malaysia, Panama and Argentina, and six Chinese trainees from Tianjin, Shandong, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Hubei. The training class was co-sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China and UNESCO and co-organized by CASTED and CISTRAT. The class opening ceremony was held in Beijing on the morning of October 19, where CASTED Vice President Wang Fenyu, representing the co-organizers, gave a welcoming address, and Hans Dencker Thulstrup, Programme Specialist for Natural Sciences of the UNESCO Beijing Office, and Zhao Xinli, Deputy Director (bureau level) of China Science and Technology Exchange Center (CSTEC), representing the co-sponsors UNESCO and the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, respectively, gave opening addresses.

The trainees received three-week training from October 19 to November 4. The training consisted of a total of 22 courses given primarily by CASTED researchers and also by experts and scholars from UNESCO, the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, Tuspark, Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai and Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences. During the training, the co-organizers also arranged study trips to China Science and Technology Museum, Tuspark, Northern Campus of Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, Shanghai Fengyuzhu Exhibition Co., Ltd., Zhangjiang Incubator, and Shanghai Science and Technology Museum. The training received support and help from partner entities including the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, CSTEC, Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai, Shanghai Institute for Science of Science, and MOST Shanghai Training Center. On the morning of November 5, the trainees each gave a presentation on the S&T development of their respective countries. On the afternoon of the same day, the training class completion ceremony was held, where Shao Xueqing, Director of the Department of Research Management at CASTED, and Du Yang, of UNESCO Beijing Office, gave closing addresses on behalf of their entities. During the free discussion session, the trainees spoke highly of the training class and expressed thanks to the sponsors and organizers, unanimously agreeing that they had benefited tremendously from the training, with some stating that the experience far exceeded their expectations. Finally, Yang Qiquan, Vice President of CASTED (bureau level), gave a concluding remark and conferred completion certificate to each of the trainees.

Based on the first three sessions of training, the training program of CISTRAT has gradually matured and developed into an excellent platform and mechanism that helps other developing countries know about China, strengthens exchange and cooperation among developing countries in STI strategy and policy research, and promotes S&T progress and common development.