The 2023 International Meridian Circle Program(IMCP) Workshop (Yanqi Youth Forum) and "Belt and Road" Space Weather School opened in Beijing on September 14. More than 100 renowned space experts and young scientists from over 20 countries gathered in the Huairou Science City to discuss the latest progress and scientific challenges of space weather based on the International Meridian Circle Program, the deployment and operation of ground-based observation systems, space weather modeling and data analysis tools, and future development roadmaps. On the same day, the headquarters building of the IMCP, located in Huairou Science City, was officially inaugurated. National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Director Dou Xiankang, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Vice President Chang Jin, and Beijing Municipal Government Deputy Secretary-General Liu Yinchun attended the event and delivered speeches.

The International Meridian Circle Program is an international big science project led by Chinese scientists. The program was initiated and led by Chinese scientists, with the Chinese Meridian Project at its core. It is a globally distributed ground-based observation network composed of over 1,000 instruments of various types from dozens of countries and regions along the 120°E and 60°W meridians. The IMCP conducts global, all-latitude, all-weather, and all-element observations of the Earth's space environment. It studies the motion laws of matter and energy in the Earth's space under the dual driving of solar and terrestrial activities, the global characteristics and evolution laws of space weather, and their interactions with global change. It provides scientific evidence for responding to Earth disasters and national space security decision-making.

In his speech, NSFC Director Dou Xiankang pointed out that NSFC has always attached great importance to the development and construction of the solar-terrestrial field and has long supported the talent team building in this field. He expressed hope that the IMCP will effectively promote the progress of solar-terrestrial space weather detection and research.

CAS Vice President Chang Jin said that the Yanqi Youth Forum is one of the most important international cooperation and exchange platforms of CAS. It adheres to the permanent theme of "enlightenment, exploration, and breakthrough", and has the typical characteristics of forward-looking leadership, open internationality, and youth subjectivity. CAS supported the IMCP through the International Big Science Program Cultivation Project. He expressed hope that, with the joint efforts of all parties, the IMCP can be implemented smoothly and achieve more major scientific research results.

Beijing Municipal Government Deputy Secretary-General Liu Yinchun said that Beijing has always supported the Chinese Meridian Project and the IMCP. From the construction of large scientific facilities to the IMCP cultivation project, to the completion of the headquarters building of the IMCP, all-round support has been provided. In the future, with the opening of the headquarters building, it is hoped to provide a more complete platform and facilities for the IMCP, attract more outstanding talents to Beijing, come to Huairou Science City, and jointly carry out scientific research and cooperation and exchanges.

After the opening ceremony, Wang Chi, the head of the IMCP's chief expert group and director of the CAS National Space Science Center, said on behalf of the IMCP project in an interview. ‘The IMCP is an international big science project led by China in the field of space weather. It will fully leverage the scientific research team, field stations, and monitoring capabilities of the national major scientific infrastructure, Chinese Meridian Project, and jointly make breakthrough contributions in the field of space weather.’

Liu Weining, a member of the IMCP's chief expert group, said, ‘The science of the solar-terrestrial system is a global issue, and the effects of its physical processes are also global. It cannot be solved by one country on its own. Under the framework of a unified international agreement, countries in the world can work together to conduct research, which will greatly promote the scientific output of solar-terrestrial weather.’

The IMCP Workshop and Space Weather School, as an important event of the Yanqi Youth Forum and the ‘Belt and Road’ School hosted by CAS, provides a platform for communication for leading scientists in the global space-sun-earth field, especially young scholars. It provides a valuable learning opportunity for students and young scholars in the space field of developing countries along the ‘Belt and Road’ and builds good research cooperation relations.

The event was hosted by the National Space Science Center and co-funded by Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO), the NSFC, and the Scientific Committee on Solar-Terrestrial Physics  (SCOSTEP). The event lasted for 10 days.