In Support of the Contents Development of National Science Centre, Sri Lanka

 ——Case Sharing of Cooperation between Chinese Association of Natural Science Museums (CANSM) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

On June 24, 2018, a  Letter of Agreement on Bilateral Cooperation was signed in Shanghai between CANSM and UNESCO. One of the purposes for signing the Agreement is to give concrete support to the development of science museums/centers in member states of UNESCO, especially developing countries. In particular, countries involved in the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative would be given priority.

On July 11, CANSM sent the Letter on Requesting China Science and Technology Museum (CSTM) to Represent CANSM and Take the Lead in Supporting the Construction of National Science Centre, Sri Lanka with UNESCO to China Science and Technology Museum at which CANSM is headquartered. 

On July 16 and presided over by Director-General Yin Hao of CSTM, the first joint conference on promoting the technical support work of National Science Centre, Sri Lanka was held. At this conference, it was agreed that the project of assisting National Science Centre, Sri Lanka undertaken by CSTM would be the first substantive international project jointly carried out by CANSM and UNESCO after signing the Agreement, making it a greatly significant one that merits great responsibilities.

At the end of July, the project proposal was distributed among domestic experts in the field of science & technology museum in the country for their comments and feedback.

On August 15, combined with the revision opinions of various parties, CSTM's suggestions for the Project Proposal on the Development of National Science Centre, Sri Lanka were formed.

On August 16, the second joint conference on promoting the technical support work of National Science Centre, Sri Lanka was held with Director-General Yin Hao as its chair. It was agreed at this conference that the request by the Sri Lankan government for a fact-finding mission to Colombo should be considered seriously. The purpose of this planned visit, entrusted by CANSM, was to form a joint working group with UNESCO, conduct researches in connection with the technical support for National Science Centre, Sri Lanka, and carry out work in an active and sincere manner.

From August 20 to 24, at the invitation of the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka, CSTM sent a delegation to the national capital of Sri Lanka for on-the-spot investigation. The delegation was headed by Ou Jiancheng, Deputy Director-General of CSTM and Secretary-General of CANSM, and staffed by Zhao Yang, Deputy Director of the Ancient Science & Technology Exhibition Department, and Ma Chao, Deputy Director of the Exhibition Technology Department of the museum, In Colombo, they made extensive contacts, exchanges and consultations with Sri Lanka's relevant parties and stakeholders on the matter of technical support for the construction of National Science Centre, Sri Lanka. Dr Yoslan Nur, UNESCO Project Officer made a special trip to Sri Lanka to participate in the fact-finding mission, sharing with the Sri Lankan side his tremendous experiences and best practices in the undertaking of science museums/centers.

On August 27 and shortly after the conclusion of the Sri Lankan mission, the third joint conference on promoting the technical support work of National Science Centre, Sri Lanka was held under the chairmanship of Dr. Cheng Donghong, President of CANSM. The conference held that the visit was very successful and achieved the expected results. It was agreed at the conference that CSTM would continue to be entrusted by CANSM and provide technical support for the contents development of National Science Centre, Sri Lanka.

On September 18, a seminar on the conceptual design of the permanent exhibition of National Science Centre, Sri Lanka was held under the chairmanship of Deputy Director-General Ou Jiancheng. The conference was attended by members of the working group of technical support for National Science Centre, Sri Lanka, as well as Prof. Sirimali Fernando, president of the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka and her two colleagues. The Sri Lankan side fully affirmed the conceptual design scheme of permanent exhibition provided by CSTM, completely agreed to condense the 12 themes in the original master plan into 6 themes in the current one, and totally accepted UNESCO's suggestions for supplementation and modification. On this basis, the Sri Lankan side put forward relevant requirements for adjustments and supplementary designs.

On January 3, 2019, the fourth joint conference on promoting the technical support work of National Science Centre, Sri Lanka was held under the chairmanship of Ou Jiancheng, Deputy Director-General of CSTM and Secretary-General of CANSM, with participation by Dr. Cheng Donghong, President of CANSM, and Yin Hao, Member of the Leading Party Members' Group of CAST (China Association for Science and Technology) and Director-General of CSTM. The conference held that the CSTM research team fulfilled its mission and completed the design scheme not only with high quality but also on schedule in spite of its own heavy workload. The planning scheme submitted this time could be described as comprehensive, down-to-earth and dovetailed with Sri Lanka's original scheme. The research team should further improve the planning scheme based on the revision suggestions put forward at this conference, and hand it over to UNESCO and the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka on schedule.

On January 9, 2019, the fifth joint conference on promoting the technical support work of National Science Centre, Sri Lanka was held under the chairmanship of Ou Jiancheng, Deputy Director-General of CSTM and Secretary-General of CANSM, with participation by Dr. Cheng Donghong, President of CANSM, Dr. Yoslan Nur, UNESCO Project Officer, Wei Jinghua, Deputy Director-General of CSTM, and the CSTM working group of technical support for National Science Centre, Sri Lanka. The conference believed that the contents development scheme of National Science Centre, Sri Lanka was diverse, viable and implemental, and arrangements were also made for the next steps.

On October 15, at the opening ceremony of 2019 International Symposium on the Development of Natural Science Museums under the Belt & Road Initiative (BRISMIS) and the 2019  Annual Conference of CANSM, Philippe Pypaert, Science & Technology Program Specialist of UNESCO Office in Beijing, and Dr. Cheng Donghong, President of CANSM jointly handed over the Master Plan of National Science Centre, Sri Lanka to Azeez Mubarak, the new president of the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka. His Excellency Mr. Karunasena Kodituwakku, the ambassador of Sri Lanka to China, and Prof. Meng Qinghai, Vice President and Executive Secretary of CAST, witnessed this important moment.