The 1st International Congress of Basic Science (ICBS) opened in Beijing  on July 16, 2023. This historic event marked the first international congress for basic science wholly conceptualized and hosted within China. The congress focuses on three branches of basic science: mathematics, theoretical physics, and theoretical computer and information sciences.

Under the theme of "Advancing Science for Humanity", the congress aimed to provide a robust platform for scholars from all nations to communicate, establish partnerships, and engage in interdisciplinary dialogue, with the ultimate goal of advancing science for the betterment of humanity. It also seeks to raise the profile of basic science and inspire the next generation of young researchers and students.

Wan Gang, president of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), Zhang Guangjun, vice minister of Science and Technology, and Yu Yingjie, vice mayor of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches respectively.

The congress was chaired by Shing-Tung Yau, 1982 Fields medalist and chairman of the International Consortium of Chinese Mathematics (ICCM).

At the opening ceremony, Wan Gang presented the Basic Science Lifetime Award (BSLA) in information sciences to Adi Shamir, 2002 Turing Medal winner and professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel for his profound contributions to modern cryptography and computational complexity.

Shing-Tung Yau presented the BSLA in mathematics to David Mumford, 1974 Fields medalist, member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS), and professor at Harvard University & Brown University for his fundamental contributions to algebraic geometry.

In his remarks, Wan Gang called for combined efforts for the prosperity of basic science and the creation of a better life for all. He expressed his hope that more young people could get deep engaged in basic science and pursue scientific truth as a top honor.

The event spans more than 2 weeks. World renowned scientists, including 8 Fields medalists, 3 Turing medal winners, 1 Nobel laureate and more than 50 academicians from all over the world, would attend and deliver high-level presentations.

More than 300 top overseas scientists and more than 800 top domestic scholars would delve into cutting-edge achievements and predict future development in the fields of basic science.

More than 500 lectures, themed symposiums, satellite meetings and engaging exchange events would build bridges for global scientists to share insights.

Outstanding undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows specializing in relevant fields from various universities in China had the opportunity to showcase their research findings through posters. Youth groups and other individuals passionate about and supportive of science development had also been invited, providing valuable opportunities for dialogue and interaction with top international scientists. Representatives will participate in face-to-face sessions with the masters and engage in conversations with top scientists around the world.

At the interaction session, Shing-Tung Yau shared his experience while having been able to talk face-to-face with the renowned scholars whose books and articles he has been reading, “Feeling I have the ability to do great job, which is really important inspiration”, Yau hoped as a gathering of top global scientists, the ICBS would help boost the interest of young domestic scientists in knowing what their global colleagues are doing and what they can do to catch up.

Looking back on his 20 years of teaching at Tsinghua University, world renowned Chinese computer scientist and computational theorist Andrew Chi-Chih Yao said that the level of Chinese students in the computer field has ranked world-class. Yao believed that further efforts should be made to introduce top-class professors, then cultivate top-class doctoral students.

"Chinese students are very smart. All they need is a little help, such as receiving notification about the latest development, talking with excellent professors, and getting encouraged while they are making exploration inspired by curiosity. "

The ICBS is jointly funded and hosted by the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality, the China Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), CAST, and the ICCM, co-organized by the Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission, the Management Committee of Zhongguancun Science Park, the Beijing Association for Science and Technology (BAST), the Beijing Huairou District People's Government, the Management Committee of Beijing Huairou Science City, the Yanqi Lake Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Applications (BIMSA), and supported by Yau Mathematical Sciences Center of Tsinghua University.

(Part of the article has adopted the materials published on the ICCM website and China’s central media reports.)

Tag: Department of International Affairs of CAST, International Conference