-
Beijing Forum 2024 held to expand more international scientific and technological cooperation
-
Humanity needs more international scientific and technological cooperation than ever to solve common development problems says Gong Qihuang, president of Peking University
-
The 2024 Beijing Forum, themed “The Era of Innovation and Advancement of Mankind” was held in Beijing from November 1st to 3rd,2024.
By: Muhammad Arif, Editor NSN.Asia
Beijing: Humanity needs more international scientific and technological cooperation than ever to solve common development problems, said Gong Qihuang, president of Peking University, while addressing the opening ceremony of the 2024 Beijing Forum on Friday.
The 2024 Beijing Forum, themed “The Era of Innovation and Advancement of Mankind” was held in Beijing from November 1st to 3rd,2024.
Co-sponsored by Peking University, the Beijing Municipal Education Commission and the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies, the annual forum attracted more than 7,000 distinguished guests and scholars from over 80 countries and regions since 2004.
The event gathered global scholars and experts to discuss how to drive human advancement through innovation, as the world faces both opportunities and challenges posed by rapid scientific and technological progress.
President Gong Qihuang in his speech titled “The Mission and Responsibility of Universities in the Era of Innovation” called upon scholars worldwide to unite in addressing challenges and to contribute greater wisdom and strength towards advancing human development.
“The rapid development of science and technology, along with emerging ideas and technologies, has not only transformed industrial and social structures but also posed new challenges to the international order and human civilization,” said Gong.
The ongoing 2024 Beijing Forum aims to drive development through innovation and create a platform for joint efforts in exploring the path to modernization for human society and the prosperity of global civilization, added Gong.
Emphasizing the vital role of innovation in tackling global challenges, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won said that no single country or organization can address these issues alone in today’s era of innovation.
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, former prime minister of Pakistan, called for efforts to bridge the digital divide to ensure inclusive economic growth and prioritize human development so that innovation can be fully leveraged. “We must ensure that innovation serves humanity’s greater good.”
Innovation is not only technological advancements or the development of new tools but also systemic innovations, new human ideas, and transformative changes in the overall fabric of human life, said Qian Chengdan, a well-known historian at Peking University.
The participants at the forum acknowledged China’s position as a global leader in innovation.
Gerard Mourou, the 2018 Nobel Prize winner in physics, noted that China has witnessed incredible advancements in scientific and technological development over the past decades.
Mourou, who assumed the role of a chair professor at Peking University this October, said he is highly impressed by the abilities of Chinese students, noting that they excel not only in their coursework but also in innovation.
Hani K. Findakly, chairman of the International Oversight Committee of the State of Qatar Chair in Middle Eastern Studies, Peking University, lauded China as a leading innovator.
He noted that the country will play a crucial role in addressing climate change and other global challenges.
According to an innovation index report released by the World Intellectual Property Organization this year, China has ranked first in the number of the global top 100 sci-tech city clusters for two consecutive years.
Speaking about the theme “The Era of Innovation and Advancement of Mankind,” esteemed guests shared their insights.
“I’m going to work on extreme light for medical and energy fields,” Nobel laureate Gérard Mourou said on Friday, speaking on plans for his work in China.
The French physicist, who joined Peking University’s School of Physics as chair professor last month, made the remarks on the sidelines of this year’s Beijing Forum, a global academic forum on innovation and human progress.
As China invests heavily in developing science and education, talent is arriving from around the world at an increasing pace. Fields Medal winner Caucher Birkar has been teaching mathematics full-time at Tsinghua University since 2021.
Structural biologist Yan Nieng returned to China from Princeton University in the United States in 2022 to found a medical academy in Shenzhen.Yan also delivered a keynote speech at this year’s Beijing Forum.
Drawing insights from both Confucianism and Daoism, he distilled two concepts: “benevolence” and “leaving blank.” The first encourages empathy and mutual understanding, while the latter acknowledges our differences and respects individual autonomy.
He urged that while it is essential to advocate for the benevolent use of technology, we must also cultivate space for autonomy, enabling the world to flourish.
In his remarks at BeijingForum2024, Jim McDonald GBE, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Strathclyde, elaborated on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, emphasizing that sustainability is fundamentally about finding a balance among economic, social, and environmental dimensions.
He underlined that to tackle the Global Grand Challenges we face, we must adopt a “Whole Systems” approach—bringing together diverse stakeholders to speak a common language, foster innovation, and collaborate for a sustainable future for all.
