More than 1,000 world science historians agreed in Beijing Saturday to strengthen international scientific research cooperation against the backdrop of globalization.

In the Beijing Declaration which was passed at the end of the 22nd International Congress of History of Science the participants encouraged global sharing of modern knowledge and research resources.

They also suggested to increase exchanges between natural and social scientists for a better mutual understanding.

Since its establishment in 1929, the International Union of History and Philosophy of Science's Division of History of Science has so far not organized any congress in China preceding this one.

And only five countries other than European ones hosted such a grand event.

Liu Dun, vice executive president of the International Union of History and Philosophy of Science's Division of History of Science, said, "Science is always regarded as originating from the Western culture and the non-Western origins of science are always neglected."

Liu, who also heads the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of History of Natural Science, said that he hopes those non-Western features of science history would be shown at the congress, with a theme of "Globalization and Diversity: Diffusion of Science and Technology throughout History".

Some plenary lectures had shown such diversity, including "Transmission of Islamic Exact Science to India and its Neighbors and Repercussions Thereof" by Razaullah Ansari of India, "Moral and Political Significance of Nature in Ancient China" by Sun Xiaochun of China, and "The Development of the Number System in Mathematics in Ancient Iraq" by Khalid Salim Ismael of Iraq.

The seven-day congress organized several work meetings, 36 scientific sections, 62 symposia and two public lectures.

Source: Xinhua