CAS President Bai Chunli (5th, R) attends the International Conference on Frontier Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences on November 7 at the Yanqi Lake campus of UCAS in Beijing’s Huairou district. [Image: CAS]

The International Conference on Frontier Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) was held on November 7 at the Yanqi Lake campus of the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing’s Huairou district.

It was one of the academy’s celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and for its own 70th birthday.

Science and technology have been the key driving force for human progress, and fundamental research and innovation breakthroughs can greatly promote the development of a social economy, CAS President Bai Chunli said at the opening ceremony of the event.

“The world is entering a new age in scientific and technological revolution characterized by the advent of artificial intelligence, virtual reality, quantum communication and computing, as well as other cutting-edge fields,” he said.

“At the same time, humanity is facing climate change, pollution, resource shortages, uneven socioeconomic development, diseases and other major challenges,” Bai said. “This will require the international scientific communities to strengthen cooperation to jointly meet these challenges.”

Over the past 70 years, CAS has made numerous great achievements, and “we could not have done this without collaboration with fellow top scientists and institutions around the world,” he said.

To promote global cooperation in science, technology, innovation and capacity-building, CAS established the Alliance of International Science Organization (ANSO) last year, which includes 36 institutes, organizations, and universities from countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, Bai said.

Themed "cutting edge science and a better life", the event clearly shows the impact of scientific development on lifestyle.

More than 50 top scientists in the world, including Samuel Chao Chung Ting, 1976 Nobel Prize laureate for physics, and Alexander Sergeev, president of the Russian Academy of Sciences, as well as nine representatives from the ANSO attended the event.

About 1,000 frontier science researchers, engineers, managerial personnel from research institutes, and students from UCAS took part in the six sub-forums on mathematics, chemistry, life, geoscience, information, and technology.

They listened to four keynote speeches and discussed strategic scientific issues centering on the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind and hot issues like “how to help people live a more peaceful and prosperous life, and help children grow better, work better and live better”.

Their idea exchanges combined with the development trends of disciplines and the actual needs of science and technology will build a bridge for future cooperation between all parties.

Source: Chinese Academy of Sciences