Global scientists and scholars converged in Beijing on Sunday to kick off the 2025 International Congress of Basic Science (ICBS), a two-week deep dive into the building blocks of human knowledge. Hosted at the China National Convention Center, the gathering brings nearly 1,000 experts, scholars and students from around the world to discuss breakthroughs in mathematics, physics and information science and engineering.
Attendees include luminaries like Fields medalist Shing-Tung Yau, Turing Award winner Andrew Chi-Chih Yao, four Fields medalists, three Nobel laureates and two Turing Award recipients. Six trailblazers—Samuel C. C. Ting, Steven Chu, David Gross, Robert Tarjan, Shigefumi Mori and George Lusztig—received the 2025 Basic Science Lifetime Award, honoring their decades-long impact on fundamental research.
In his opening remarks, ICBS President and Fields medalist Shing-Tung Yau reflected on recent theoretical leaps and cutting-edge tech innovations. “From abstract equations to real-world tools, basic science drives the engines of tomorrow,” he said, underscoring the need for open international cooperation to fuel future discoveries.
Now in its third year since Yau’s vision launched ICBS in 2023 under the theme “advancing science for humanity,” the congress features over 500 sessions—from plenary talks and specialized lectures to satellite workshops. Young researchers and veteran scientists alike will share the latest data-driven insights, sparking interdisciplinary collaboration across borders.
As debates unfold around the convention center, one thing is clear: exploring the frontiers of knowledge isn’t just an academic exercise. It’s the foundation for next-generation breakthroughs in AI, renewable energy, healthcare and beyond.
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Global scientists gather in Beijing for congress on basic sciences
cgtn.com
