Young scientists attend a panel discussion during the South Africa-China Young Scientist Symposium in Pretoria, South Africa, June 17, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Wei)
PRETORIA, June 17 (Xinhua) -- Young scientists from China and South Africa gathered in Pretoria, the country's administrative capital, on Wednesday for the South Africa-China Young Scientist Symposium to exchange views on scientific innovation and bilateral cooperation.
Themed "Youth, Science, Unity for Good," the symposium was jointly organized by the Chinese Embassy in South Africa and the South African Department of Science, Technology and Innovation, drawing 150 young scientists and academics.
South African Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Blade Nzimande highlighted the longstanding friendship between South Africa and China, noting that bilateral cooperation in science, technology and innovation had yielded more than 100 joint research and development projects over the past two decades.
Describing the South Africa-China Young Scientists Exchange Program as an important platform for skills transfer and human resource development, the minister encouraged young participants to leverage the platform to help address global challenges.
"Scientific and technological cooperation, especially exchanges among young scientists, has always been one of the most dynamic and productive areas of China-South Africa relations," Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Wu Peng said.
He said China will continue to support academic exchanges, joint research, and collaborative innovation between young scientists of the two countries to inject fresh momentum into bilateral ties.
Yaseera Ismail, a senior lecturer at Stellenbosch University and lead researcher of the South African team, recalled that South African researchers, in collaboration with their Chinese counterparts, established a quantum key distribution link in 2025, extending ultra-secure quantum communication to the Southern Hemisphere for the first time.
Describing the partnership as "highly beneficial in both directions," Ismail said the collaboration had combined China's strengths in quantum satellite technologies with South Africa's expertise in astronomy and optical systems. "After getting such remarkable results, we want to push further and explore new breakthroughs with our Chinese colleagues," she said.
Guo Wenqing, a Chinese scholar at Stellenbosch University, said South Africa's world-class astronomical facilities, including the MeerKAT radio telescope and the future Square Kilometre Array (SKA), had provided unique opportunities for his research on the universe and dark matter.
The experience in South Africa had enriched both his academic research and cultural understanding through exchanges with local researchers, students and communities, Guo added, also pledging further efforts to China-South Africa astronomy cooperation.
Sandiswa Figlan, associate professor of plant breeding at the University of South Africa (UNISA), said young scientists are the driving force behind the future of agriculture.
Figlan said her visit to China had given her firsthand exposure to advanced greenhouse production systems, modern agricultural technologies and the effective translation of scientific research into farming practices.
"Challenges such as climate change cannot be addressed by a single discipline, institution or country. We cannot continue working in silos; we must build partnerships to tackle global challenges," she said.
South African Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Blade Nzimande speaks during the South Africa-China Young Scientist Symposium in Pretoria, South Africa, June 17, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Wei)
Chinese Ambassador to South Africa Wu Peng speaks during the South Africa-China Young Scientist Symposium in Pretoria, South Africa, June 17, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Wei)
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