Beijing recently hosted an international dialogue titled ‘Connecting the World: Youth Power in Open Science,’ bringing together young innovators from diverse scientific disciplines. The event, held on Friday, highlighted the pivotal role of young scientists in fostering global scientific collaboration amidst the challenges of technological competition and the evolving open science landscape. Attendees included researchers from aerospace, life sciences, and disaster risk reduction, who shared insights on the opportunities and hurdles in international scientific partnerships. Ren Xiaoqiang, a researcher at China’s Deep Space Exploration Laboratory, emphasized the critical contributions of young scientists, noting their professionalism, rigor, openness, and passion as key drivers in China’s deep space exploration endeavors. Stephanie Stone, a US reporter at China Daily, highlighted the significance of global technological collaboration in cultural heritage preservation, citing recent Sino-Egyptian efforts in archaeological digitization as a prime example of how technology can safeguard human history while shaping the future.