Pujiang Innovation Forum of Advances of Basic Science kicks off

“Shanghai is fully capable to become a global hub for mathematical research,” said Shing-Tung Yau, chair professor of Tsinghua University and the first ethnic Chinese winner of the Fields Medal, at the opening ceremony of Pujiang Innovation Forum of Advances of Basic Science in Shanghai on July 24.

Under the theme “Frontiers and Perspective on Basic Science”, the three-day forum kicked off at the Shanghai Science Hall, gathering nearly 40 world’s top scientists.

Liu Duo, vice mayor of Shanghai and He Defang, deputy secretary-general of the Ministry of Science and Technology, gave opening remarks. Jin Li, academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences and president of Fudan University and Shang Yuying, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai Municipal Government attended the forum.

“I’m sure Shanghai can become a global hub of basic science, especially in mathematics,” said Yau.

“A lot of important scientific studies today began in unimpressive places, but slowly these places grew into some of the most prominent research institutes in the world.” Yau believes that if a country aims to keep its advantage in high technology, its ability to innovate needs to be strong. To foster or introduce the best people steeped in basic science, we should prioritize the creation of a good research environment and give talents from all over the world more opportunities to realize their potential here in China. He has high expectations for Shanghai that it can gather the world’s best scholars to carry out basic science research, considering that it is strong economically today and that a large number of China’s best mathematicians such as Shiing-shen Chern and Hua Luogeng were raised in the Yangtze River Delta in the past century.

Mathematics is an important basis for interdisciplinary studies. It is traditionally tightly linked with physics. In the fields of biology and medicine, mathematics helps with data collection and processing, and in the field of artificial intelligence, mathematics is needed to break into the black box of neural networks. Yau stressed however, the result of interdisciplinary research depends on whether each discipline itself is strong enough.

“If you don’t have a strong mathematics subject, you won’t be able to produce good practical applications.” He called on the government to increase investment in basic science, and eventually build a complete chain from basic research to technology application, so that Shanghai can grow into a global hub for basic science research, especially for mathematical research.

As the moderator of the plenary session, Jin Li said, the forum would give all participants the great opportunity to share cutting-edge innovative ideas in pure and applied mathematics, explore emerging technological trends, and discuss how to promote the development of relevant fields of application. The forum aims to pool the wisdom of top scientists in Shanghai, further enhance Shanghai’s international influence in the field of basic science, deepen the understanding of international scholars about Shanghai, and make Shanghai a source of original ideas, a hotspot for new opportunities, and a hub for the best global innovation resources.

Mathematical science is the foundation of natural science and a crucial basis for significant technological innovation and development. China’s mathematics has connected with the world relatively early, transitioning from keeping pace to taking the lead in a few areas. However, it is important to realize that there is still a gap between our research capacity in mathematics and those of the world’s leading science and technology powers.

How can China make significant contributions to the world’s scientific development in the field of mathematics for the benefit of all mankind? How can we lead the development of mathematics in China for the next 10-20 years? Jin hopes that through this forum, by inviting top international mathematicians to share their scientific ideas with us, we can address these questions and truly enhance Shanghai’s innovation capacity at the forefront of pure and applied mathematics, as well as expand the public awareness of the significant value of pure and applied mathematical research, and contribute to the building of a world-leading science and technology power.

As a centuries-old discipline, mathematics is not only closely related to the development of other basic disciplines such as physics, chemistry, and life sciences, but also becomes the cornerstone of new applications and technologies such as artificial intelligence, information engineering and new materials in today’s world.

Co-hosted by the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (STCSM), Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, Fudan University and Yau Mathematical Sciences Center of Tsinghua University, the Pujiang Innovation Forum of Advances of Basic Science takes mathematics as the focus of discussion, and gathers insights for the development of basic science in Shanghai. By bringing together the scientists at home and abroad and the scientists based in Shanghai, the forum serves as an international academic exchange platform to further promote openness in mathematical research in Shanghai.