The Third Session of the Second Advisory Committee of International Knowledge Centre for Engineering Sciences and Technology ("IKCEST") was held at the Chinese Academy of Engineering through a combination of online and offline methods on September 8, 2020. It was co-chaired by CAE Member Pan Yunhe, and CAE foreign Member Raj Reddy and attended by 11 advisors, including CAE Member Wu Cheng, CAE Member Li Guojie, CAE Member Li Bohu, Professor Han Qunli, Zhuang Yueting, Jin Hai, He Liang, Mr. Liu Xiaoyun, 12 representatives from the general and sub-platform and 3 staff from the Secretariat.

The meeting mainly reviewed the construction progress of the general and sub-platforms in 2020 and watched the online demonstration. During the exchanges and discussion, the Advisory Committee members introduced their experience as platform users, saying that the content of the IKCEST general and sub-platforms became richer with a more pleasant interface and better functions in 2020. They highly commended IKCEST’s fruitful work in the past year, especially since the outbreak of the epidemic, and praised the efforts and achievements of the IKCEST Secretariat and expert team.

The Advisory Committee members gave a number of suggestions for the construction of the IKCEST platform. For example, in terms of product design, it needs to be clearer about its user positioning, and develop knowledge service products that can benefit more users; in terms of data resources, it needs to consider the characteristics and hot spots of the post-pandemic era, enrich data sources and strengthen data cooperation; in terms of operation and promotion, it needs to choose one or two featured knowledge service products as the focus in its operation, and carry out targeted operation based on user behavior analysis; in terms of international exchanges, it needs to enhance interaction with UNESCO headquarters and its field offices, and provide more targeted support for relevant action plans, so as to generate greater practical effects and international influence.