Chinese Premier Li Keqiang held a symposium with foreign experts working in China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 18, 2023. Li extended Lunar New Year greetings to the foreign experts and their relatives, and thanked them for their contributions to China's reform, opening-up and modernization, and their contributions to promoting exchanges and cooperation with other countries.
He said that China's economy continues to face many difficulties and challenges, but it is believed that with the implementation of optimized and adjusted COVID-19 prevention and control measures, China's economy will recover at an accelerated pace.
Li noted that the Chinese government welcomes more foreign talent to come and work in China, and will continue to improve the level of convenience and services for foreign experts working in China.
Dr. Zeeshan Shirazi from the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS) attended the meeting as a representative.
Mr. Shirazi has been studying and working in China for 9 years. After his arrival in China in 2013 as a Ph.D. student in Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences (now AIRCAS), he was nominated as the pioneer batch of the CAS-TWAS President’s Fellowship.
In 2017 after completing doctorate degree, he worked as a Junior Scientific Officer under the Digital Belt and Road Program (DBAR Program). The DBAR program was inspired by concept of the One Belt One Road Initiative envisioned by President Xi. DBAR was established following a series of scientific gathering where experts from around the world gathered in China to discuss opportunities to improve scientific collaboration between the countries in the broader Belt and Road region. Mr. Shirazi has been working to facilitate scientific collaboration between DBAR scientific working groups and 9 International Center of Excellences established around the world. He also participates in DBAR’s institutional research projects.
As a science officer at CBAS International Cooperation Office, he participated in the CBAS' inauguration and international cooperation with prominent international organization such as the UN and other international institutes. Now his main focus is on Scientific Cooperation towards Sustainable Development. He has also been awarded the CBAS Employee of the Year in 2022.