On November 15, in Wenzhou, the World Association of Young Scientists (WAYS) held the first General Assembly of WAYS and a Forum on International Scientific Organization Cooperation and Exchange. The World Association of Young Scientists (WAYS) is an international, academic, and non-profit organization voluntarily formed by international or regional youth scientific organizations, higher education institutions, and research institutions. The association was jointly founded by four organizations: the CAST Center for Professional Training and Services, the Wenzhou Growth Foundation for World Young Scientists, Venture Cup Denmark, and the Young Earth Scientist Network. The initial members consist of 46 institutions, including universities, research institutes, and enterprise alliances, spanning 23 countries across Asia, Europe, America, and Africa. ICOLD is one of the 46 founding members of WAYS.   The mission of WAYS is to establish a platform for global young scientists to exchange ideas and learn from one another, to build consensus on the positive role of science and technology, and to promote sustainable development through scientific and technological innovations. WAYS aims to contribute the wisdom and efforts of young scientists toward achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and building a community with a shared future for humanity.    The scope of WAYS' activities includes organizing events such as the World Young Scientist Summit, facilitating exchange visits among international young scientists, establishing a platform for communication and cooperation among young scientists worldwide, supporting young scientists in their exploration and research initiatives, promoting technological innovation for sustainable development, and encouraging exchange activities among scientific and technological organizations. Membership in WAYS is open to institutional members.

On November 15, the first General Assembly (GA) of WAYS was held. During the GA, Chaoyang Lu was elected as Chairperson. Chunbo Gao, Shulei Chou, Morten Ugelvig Andersen, and Meng Wang were elected as Vice-Chairpersons, with Chunbo Gao additionally serving as Secretary-General. Their term of office is five years. 

During the Forum on International Scientific Organization Cooperation and Exchange, representatives from 43 member institutions present in Wenzhou participated in discussions. Key takeaways from the discussions highlighted that, despite the diverse scopes of the member organizations, all are addressing SDGs, seeking partners for collaboration, and promoting the development of young professionals. This forum provided an excellent opportunity to network and initiate the development of common ideas. 

On November 16, at Wenzhou University, the fruitful discussions continued. One of the focal points was sharing initiatives and building a collaborative network. During these discussion rounds, the initiatives and activities of ICOLD YPF were also presented. 

On the last day, November 17, a plenary session of WYSS 2024 was held, attended by nearly 800 scientists from 71 countries. The founding ceremony of the World Association of Young Scientists (WAYS) was a significant part of the event. All 46 member institutions of WAYS were formally introduced. 

The event concluded with the award ceremony for the 18^th China Youth Science and Technology Award, which has, over the past 30 years, been awarded to nearly 1,700 outstanding scientists. Additionally, four young scientists from the United States, Britain, France, and China were honored with the Young Scientist SDG Awards. 

Participants were inspired by keynote motivational speeches, including one delivered by Nobel Prize winner Hartmut Michel, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1988. He shared insights into his journey toward achieving this prestigious honor, leaving a lasting impression on attendees.

By Mateja Klun, Chair of the ICOLD
Young Professionnal Forum

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