Nov 17(ABC): What is the view from the “pinnacle of science” created by China? Amid once-in-a-century global changes, what could the effect of opening up an exclusive event in science be?
The 2022 World Laureates Forum (WLA Forum), which brought together 60 decorated scientists from over 20 countries and regions, including 27 Nobel Laureates, presents a wonderful answer to Chinese and global audiences.
Should there be more support to ensure carbon emission reduction in developing countries? Should there be tolerance for varied energy transition paths taken by different countries? In the past, differences of opinion on these issues were often a “stumbling block” to international cooperation. But now in Shanghai, global scientists are willing to face difficulties and work together to find scientific solutions to the common challenges facing humanity. The old and new friends alike of the international scientific community particularly value this great scientific event, where they share the latest academic findings, seek to adapt to the new realities of scientific collaboration mechanisms, and discuss solutions to common human problems.
This year marks the fifth year of the WLA Forum. Over the last five years, the success of the forum has reflected China’s trust in the power of technology to drive innovation and development, which also witnessed the country’s receptiveness to advocate for international cooperation, and made more young people feel the joy of being part of scientific discovery.
The 2022 World Laureates Forum (WLA Forum) on November 6, 2022, in Shanghai Photo: VCG
Faith in science
“When we talked to foreign experts at the forum, many of them felt amazed and excited that so many top scientists with such great minds from across the world and various scientific research backgrounds could travel all the way to Shanghai, congregating to discuss the development of science,” said Jiang Xuefeng, professor of chemical and molecular engineering from the East China Normal University.
Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 global pandemic hampering international travel and the pursuant chaos, what made a forum hosted by a nongovernmental organization attract the attention of the world’s top scientists?
It’s a veritable scientific grand meeting, as the Forum provides a unique opportunity to learn about the latest advancements in different fields, Roger Kornberg, 2006 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry and chairman of the World Laureates Association (WLA), said at the opening ceremony of the forum.
Seeking to fulfill the three missions of promoting basic science, advocating for international cooperation, and supporting the development of young people with the vision of “Science and Technology for the Common Destiny of Mankind,” it is the WLA’s focus on science that resonates, making scientists around the world passionate and supportive of this forum, contributing a wealth of insights to some of humanity’s most pressing problems, Yu Licheng, secretary-general of the WLA Shanghai Center, told the Global Times.
“The success of the forum reflects the importance China attaches to science and its attitude of openness toward the world,” Jiang said.
Taking the inaugural WLA Prize as an example, the Prize in the Computer Science or Mathematics went to American computer scientist Michael I. Jordan, and German biochemist Dirk Görlich won the prize in the Life Science or Medicine. Both scientists received a monetary reward of 10 million yuan ($1.4 million), making the prize one of the world’s highest scientific awards.
The WLA Prize is the first global scientific award initiated and established in the Chinese mainland, benchmarked by the world’s highest academic standards, and conveying to the world the attention and esteem that China places on basic cutting-edge science, said Zhou Chengxiong, deputy director of Consultation and Research Center for Strategic Issues at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The prize is an international award led by a Chinese non-government institution and recommended by global leading scientists, Yu said, “The international and civil science cause needs more attention and support from all facets of society in the process of development. Fortunately, the whole of Chinese society is now paying more attention to science’s popularization and innovation,” he stressed.