KRAKOW, Poland, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Scientific and technological progress requires countries to keep channels of cooperation open amid geopolitical tensions and growing competition, President of the International Union of Radio Science (URSI) Ari Sihvola has said.
Speaking to Xinhua recently during the 36th URSI General Assembly and Scientific Symposium in Krakow, Sihvola noted that radio science now supports fields ranging from mobile and satellite communications to remote sensing and radio astronomy, with applications developing rapidly.
At the same time, tensions between countries, competition in telecommunications and electronics, and trade problems could create obstacles to technological development, he said.
Yet radio technology itself also demonstrates why international coordination remains necessary. The use of frequencies has to be coordinated among services including radar, broadcasting, Wi-Fi and radio astronomy.
"If everybody is trying to send electrical waves or communication at the same frequency, it will be a total mess," Sihvola explained.
Faced with a more complicated international environment, Sihvola said URSI seeks to maintain contacts among scientists across countries.
He expressed his "deep respect" for China's long history of development in electrical engineering and related fields.
As a professor teaching the history of electrical engineering at his university, Sihvola cited the invention of the compass as an early Chinese contribution to the history of electricity and magnetism, as the ancient technology was applied in Europe after it emerged in China.
Sihvola has visited China many times, including academic institutions such as Harbin Institute of Technology and Fudan University.
"I've been truly fascinated by the level of expertise and education there," he said, noting his impression of the diligence of Chinese students.
Recalling URSI meetings held in Beijing and other Chinese cities, Sihvola described them as "very fruitful conferences." He said he hoped the free mobility of scientists across the world would continue.
The World Radiocommunication Conference 2027, to be held in Shanghai, will be such a platform to enhance international coordination. The conference will bring together representatives across the world to review international rules governing the use of the radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits.
Sihvola said the conference works as a positive sign that countries can work together to reach agreement over frequency bands as radio technologies continue to develop. ■
