Over 1,000 of the world's brightest scientific minds converged in Beijing this week as the 2025 International Congress of Basic Science (ICBS) commenced at the China National Convention Center. The landmark event features an unprecedented gathering of four Fields Medal recipients, three Nobel laureates, and two Turing Award winners – a constellation of intellectual firepower rarely seen outside Nobel Prize ceremonies.
Initiated by Congress Chairman Shing-Tung Yau, the Harvard mathematician and Fields Medalist, ICBS has rapidly become Asia's premier platform for fundamental scientific discourse since its 2023 debut. This year's theme, 'Focusing on Basic Science, Leading the Future of Humanity,' sets the stage for two weeks of interdisciplinary collaboration spanning mathematics, physics, computer science, and emerging fields.
'This assembly represents more than academic exchange – it's a strategic investment in humanity's toolkit for tomorrow's challenges,' said Yau during the opening ceremony. The congress features 21 plenary lectures and 120 specialized sessions, with discussions ranging from quantum computing's ethical implications to breakthroughs in geometric analysis.
For business leaders and investors, ICBS offers early insights into technologies that could reshape industries within decades. Academic attendees highlight the event's unique format enabling cross-pollination between theoretical research and practical applications. The congress also serves as a bridge between China's rapidly growing scientific community and global research networks.
