ECOSF is bringing its Member States on board under Belt and Road Initiative of China and helping them to benefit from the expertise and capacity of Chinese Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) institutions especially for its youth with a vision to boost infrastructure and industrial development in the region. In response to this, the ECOSF signed MoU with Children and Youth Science Centre (CYSC) of China Association for Science & Technology (CAST) in December 2017. Under the MoU, the ECOSF has been designated as a Coordinating Center for promotion of STI and Science Education under BRI in the ECO Member States. Under the BRISTEC, ECOSF is collaborating with China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) to coordinate and invite teams comprising of students and teachers from the ECO Member Countries to participate in the CASTIC events.
China Adolescents Science and Technology Innovation Contest (CASTIC) is one of the biggest national science competitions in China jointly hosted by China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) and Ministry of Education in collaboration with ECOSF and other international and national organizations. Over the span of thirty years, CASTIC has been the most prestigious and biggest science contest for young scientists around all parts of world in China. It is held in different cities in every year, aimed at developing adolescents’ innovative capacity and their ability to apply their science knowledge in creating inventions.
Annually about 500 Chinese young scientists and nearly 100 international participants from more than 20 countries and regions attend CASTIC with their own scientific projects in 13 science categories. Foreign delegations from countries including the USA, Germany, Denmark, Hungary, Korea, Japan and as well as the ECO Member Countries also take part in the contest to share their innovative ideas and creations with the world. Every year, ECOSF nominates and selects the most outstanding scientific creations to form the ECOSF delegation and participate in this mega event.