To mark the 50th anniversary of China-EU diplomatic relations and promote deeper scientific ties, China's Ministry of Science and Technology, in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and other related institutions, launched the "China-EU Young Scientists Exchange Program" on July 25 in Beijing.

Chinese Minister of Science and Technology Yin Hejun emphasized the program's role as a platform to build "bridges of trust, cooperation and friendship" between China and the EU. He expressed the hope that young scientists from both sides would shoulder the responsibility of advancing global science and contribute to a sustainable future.

China's Special Representative for European Affairs Lu Shaye and CAS President Hou Jianguo also underlined the importance of strengthening youth-driven scientific exchange as a foundation for long-term cooperation.

Sharing memories of his eight years of study abroad, Zhu Yongguan, director general of the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences at CAS and vice president of the International Science Council, stressed the value of international cooperation to foster a comprehensive understanding of the world.

Zied Moumni, French material science professor and recipient of the Chinese Government's Friendship Award, echoed him. Highlighting global challenges such as climate change, pandemics, and AI ethics, Moumni emphasized that scientific collaboration between China and Europe is not only valuable, but essential.

He also mentioned the fruits of China-EU cooperation: Chinese and European physicists working side by side at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, European engineers collaborating in China's deserts on next-gen solar energy, and young researchers exchanging ideas in labs across Berlin, Paris and Shanghai.

One flagship of Sino-European cooperation is the SVOM satellite — a joint astronomical mission between China and France to detect gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), the most violent explosion in the universe. Representing young Chinese scientists, Dr. Chen Wen from the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites at CAS shared SVOM's recent milestones.

Since its launch in June 2024, the satellite has detected 138 GRBs, including a major breakthrough this March: the capture of a GRB originating 13 billion years ago, the most distant one observed in the past 12 years. Dr. Chen described how SVOM's multi-band instruments work in coordination with other telescopes worldwide to record fleeting cosmic events.

Moumni concluded that the journey ahead is long, but the direction is clear. He is confident that China and Europe can light the path forward together — not only for the two sides, but for the world. "Let us begin the next chapter, where the greatest discoveries are made not through competition, but through collaboration."