In 2024, the Youth Science Society will once again be featured in Nature.
On February 29, Nature published an article titled "Young Scientists' Summit Looks to Sustainable Future" written by Nature Research, introducing the Youth Science Society to global scientists and technologists in English. On March 4, the official WeChat platform of Nature liked "World Young Scientists Summit looks forward to a sustainable future" in Chinese.
In 2023, the Executive Committee of the Youth Science Association established a cooperative relationship with Nature, and published a bilingual article titled "Young Scientist Summit – Growing Together" in the journal "Nature" and its official WeChat account from October 26 to 27, 2023.
Nature magazine page.
Screenshot of Nature's official WeChat.
The full text of the article in the journal Nature.
young scientists’ summit looks to sustainable future
hundreds of early- and mid-career scientists from around the world gathered in china for an exchange of ideas in late 2023. new research awards for sustainable development were a notable focus.
the fifth world young scientist summit (wyss) was held in wenzhou, china in november. credit: wyss
young minds h**e the power to revolutionize the world. at the age of 23, isaac newton contemplated the law of gr**ity beneath an apple tree. in her early 30s chien-shiung wu played a pivotal role in the manhattan project, helping the united states win the race to develop the first atomic bomb. albert einstein, at the age of 26, made four groundbreaking discoveries in physics, including his special theory of relativity. marie curie, while still in her 20s in paris, discovered polonium and radium.
what young scientists lack in experience, they make up for with fresh perspectives and an ability to tackle problems unconstrained by dogma and convention, says biologist xiaokun li, president of wenzhou medical university in zhejiang, china.
this appreciation for young scientists led li and his long-term collaborator — structural biologist, moosa mohammadi of oujiang laboratory in wenzhou — to get involved with the world young scientist summit (wyss), an event held annually in wenzhou, aimed at fostering these young minds.
the fifth iteration of wyss, held on 11–12 november 2023, was centered around ‘youth innovation for a sustainable future’. it was co-organized by the china association for science and technology and the people’s government of zhejiang province.
a call for unity
we find ourselves at a crossroad where the future hinges on science.” says li, “to tackle pressing challenges such as climate change we are now facing, it is imperative for young scientists to collaborate on sustainable and ethical solutions.”
in 2023 the world young scientist summit (wyss) focused on sustainable development. recipients are presented with their young scientist sdgs awards. credit: wyss
the 2023 summit attracted around 800 attendees from around the world. the majority were early- and mid-career researchers under the age of 45, but the attendees also included nobel laureates and senior representatives from international scientific and technological organizations. this diverse group provided a platform for younger scientists to learn from established experts in areas such as fundraising, research translation, and leadership, according to li.
the event showcased a series of forums and workshops where young scientists presented their research in key areas such as artificial intelligence, advanced energy materials, brain science, and public health, along with solutions for a sustainable future.
the event emphasized forums aimed at fostering equity for female scientists and promoting collaboration between young researchers in china and europe. it also introduced the inaugural ‘young scientist sdgs award’ to recognize significant research contributions towards achieving any of the united nations’ 17 sustainable development goals.
sdg pathfinders
selected from among 80 candidates in 35 countries and regions, three early career researchers were awarded a prize of one million rmb (us$140,000). among the recipients was henry snaith a physicist at the university of oxford, in the united kingdom.
he was recognized for his work on improving perovskite photovoltaic cells, while minimizing the environmental impact of sourcing raw materials and manufacturing.
henry snaith, a physicist at the university of oxford, was awarded for his work on perovskite solar cells. credit: wyss
in collaboration with tsutomu miyasaka, from the university of yokohama in japan, snaith dedicated more than a decade to refining ‘solar absorber’ materials in photovoltaic devices, aiming for their large scale deployment.
there can’t be very many things more important than enabling society to grow and prosper in a sustainable manner,” said snaith. “my ultimate hope is that the perovskite photovoltaic technology contributes significantly to the decarbonization of power generation.”
to snaith the value of a conference dedicated to young scientists is clear.
research communities are often he**ily influenced by a few very well-established leaders,” he says, but a summit such as wyss — with its focus on young scientists — makes space for new and unconventional ideas to emerge and flourish.
xiongwen (d**id) lou, a materials scientist from the city university of hong kong, shares this vision. he was honored with a young scientist sdgs award for his work on developing efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly nanomaterials for energy storage and conversion systems.
these advanced materials h**e numerous potential applications in electrochemical capacitors, rechargeable batteries, fuel cells, hydrogen production, and co2 reduction to combat carbon emissions.
it is a privilege to be acknowledged for **contributions to a sustainable future,” says lou. he anticipates that the recognition brought by the award will open doors for collaboration with scientists across various disciplines.
the third winner, material scientist qiang zhang of tsinghua university in beijing, has been developing advanced materials for rechargeable lithium batteries. zhang says his research is “a humble, yet pivotal contribution to the broader narrative of energy transformation”.
zhang teaches the ’chemical engineering for global challenges’ course at tsinghua university. this is designed to “empower students to proactively combat climate change,” he says.
let this award serve as a reminder that collective actions, no matter how small, can spearhead significant change,” adds zhang.
finding solutions
another way the wyss meeting is facilitating changes is through a series of initiatives aimed at fostering international collaboration. these include three sub-forums in new york, brussels and dubai, which took place before or after the main wyss meeting in wenzhou.
in november in wenzhou, the ‘china–europe young scientists dialogue’ and the ‘sino-nordic sustainable development forum for international cooperation’ were held, focusing on nurturing bilateral research collaborations to tackle global challenges and boost sustainable development.
discussions at this year’s forums h**e resulted in collaborative research projects between wenzhou medical university and several universities and research institutes in scandin**ia, all aimed at tackling pressing public health challenges.
meanwhile, the popular “forum for female scientists”, was attended by 200 young scientists from many countries.
as for the future of wyss events, li envisions them growing continuously, becoming an increasingly important source of solutions to global challenges.
for example, one of the upcoming forums may centre on developing responses to future pandemics.
investing in young scientists equates to investing to our future,” says li.
learn more about the 2023 instance of the world young scientist summit.
The full text of the official WeChat article of nature.
The World Young Scientists Summit looks forward to a sustainable future.
At the end of 2023, hundreds of young and middle-aged scientists from all over the world gathered in China to exchange ideas. The "Young Scientist Award for Sustainable Development", which was announced for the first time at the conference, is particularly eye-catching.
The 5th World Young Scientists Summit was held in Wenzhou, China in November 2023. **wyss
Young minds have the power to change the world. At the age of 23, Newton discovered the law of gravitation under an apple tree; In his early 30s, Chien-shiung Wu played a key role in the Manhattan Project, helping the United States win the race to develop the atomic bomb; At the age of 26, Einstein had already made four breakthrough discoveries in physics, including the special theory of relativity; And Marie Curie, who was in Paris in her 20s, had already discovered polonium and radium.
Li Xiaokun, a biologist and president of Wenzhou Medical University in Zhejiang, China, believes that young scientists' lack of experience can be compensated for with new perspectives and problem-solving skills that are not bound by traditional dogma.
The appreciation for young scientists has led Li Xiaokun and his long-term collaborator, Moussa Mohammadi, a structural biologist at the Oujiang Laboratory in Wenzhou, to promote the annual World Young Scientist Summit (WYSS) in Wenzhou to support the growth of young scientists.
The 5th World Young Scientists Summit was held on November 11-12, 2023, with the theme of "Bringing together talents from all over the world for a better future". The summit was co-sponsored and co-sponsored by the China Association for Science and Technology and the people of Zhejiang Province.
Call for cooperation. "The world is at a crossroads, and our future depends on science. To address the growing challenges we now face, such as climate change, young scientists should work together to develop sustainable and ethical solutions. ”
The 2023 summit attracted around 800 participants from around the world, most of whom were young and middle-aged researchers under the age of 45, as well as a number of Nobel laureates and senior representatives of international science and technology organizations. This diverse group provides a platform for young scientists to learn from renowned experts on fundraising, research outcomes and leadership, Li said.
During the conference, the CYCS also held a series of forums and seminars, providing a platform for young scientists to showcase their research results in key areas such as artificial intelligence, advanced energy materials, brain science and public health, as well as solutions for a sustainable future.
The conference also held a forum to promote equality among women scientists and promote cooperation among young researchers from China and Europe, and launched the first "Young Scientist Award for Sustainable Development" to recognize important scientific research and outstanding contributions to the achievement of any of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Pathfinder for sustainability.
Three young scientists, selected from 80 candidates from 35 countries and regions around the world, each received a prize of 1 million yuan (about 140,000 US dollars). One of the winners was physicist Henry Snaith from the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
He was recognized for improving perovskite-based photovoltaic cells and minimizing the environmental impact of raw material sourcing and production.
In collaboration with Tsutomu Miyasaka of Yokohama University in Japan, Snaiss has been working for more than a decade to improve the materials used in photovoltaic equipment for "solar absorbers" with the goal of achieving large-scale applications.
"There's nothing more important than getting society to grow and prosper in a sustainable way," Snaith said. Ultimately, I hope to make a significant contribution to the decarbonization of power generation through perovskite-based photovoltaic cells. ”
For Henry Snais, the significance of a dedicated conference for young scientists is obvious.
"The research community is often heavily influenced by a handful of credible leaders," he said. However, a conference focused on young scientists, such as the World Young Scientist Summit, provides space for innovative ideas to emerge and flourish.
Lou Xiongwen, a materials scientist from the City University of Hong Kong, agrees, who won the Young Scientist Award for Sustainable Development for the development of efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly nanomaterials for energy storage and conversion systems.
The 2023 World Young Scientist Summit (WYSS) focuses on sustainable development. The winners were awarded the Young Scientist Award for Sustainable Development (pictured above); Henry Snaith (pictured below), a physicist at the University of Oxford, received the award for his work on perovskite-based photovoltaic cells. **wyss
These advanced materials have many potential applications in electrochemical capacitors, rechargeable batteries, fuel cells, hydrogen production, and CO2 emission reduction.
Lou Xiongwen said: "I am honored to be able to contribute to a sustainable future and be recognized. He expects the award to provide him with more opportunities to collaborate with interdisciplinary scientists.
The third winner is Zhang Qiang, a materials scientist from Tsinghua University in Beijing, who has been working on the development of advanced materials for rechargeable lithium batteries. Zhang Qiang said his research results were "a small but critical contribution to the broader energy transition".
Zhang Qiang also teaches a course on "Contemporary Chemical Engineering: Addressing Global Challenges" at Tsinghua University. "This course aims to empower students to actively respond to climate change," he said. ”
He added: "This award is yet another reminder that when we bring things together, we can make a big difference. ”
Find a solution.
Another way the World Young Scientists Summit catalyzes change is by fostering international cooperation, including three dedicated overseas events in New York, Brussels, and Dubai, all of which were held before and after the main forum in Wenzhou.
In November, the Youth Science and Technology Association held the "China-EU Young Scientists Dialogue" and the "China-Nordic International Cooperation Forum on Sustainable Development" in Wenzhou, focusing on promoting bilateral research cooperation to address global challenges and jointly promote sustainable development.
At this year's forum, Wenzhou Medical University signed research collaboration projects with several universities and research institutes in Scandinavia to jointly address pressing public health challenges.
At the same time, the popular Women in Scientists Forum attracted 200 young scientists from several countries.
Looking ahead, Li expects the summit to continue to enrich and grow, and to play an increasingly important role in advancing global challenges.
For example, one of the upcoming forums may focus on how to improve pandemic response capacity in the future.
"Supporting the growth of young scientists is equivalent to investing in our future. ”
*: Nature, Wenzhou Association for Science and Technology.