THE International Congress of Basic Science (ICBS) was inaugurated in Beijing on Sunday, bringing together more than 800 scientists and scholars from home and abroad. A leading global academic event in fundamental sciences, themed “Advancing science for humanity,” the annual ICBS that began its first session in July 2023 has always been centered on mathematics, theoretical physics, and theoretical computer and information science that are considered basis of mankind’s science. Over the next two weeks, the event will feature over 500 academic reports and satellite meetings, aiming to share cutting-edge achievements in the field of basic science and envision the future development of fundamental research. Four Fields Medal winners, three Turing Award winners, one Nobel laureate and more than 70 academicians from various countries are set to participate. “Basic science is the cornerstone of humanity’s quest to explore the unknown, providing the fundamental theories and methods to understand natural phenomena and solve real-world problems,” said Shing-Tung Yau, a world-renowned mathematician and chairman of the ICBS. Yau also expressed his belief that in the 21st century fundamental science will grow through the mutual understanding and impact of mathematics, physics, and AI. “When I was young, I did not know any Chinese people in my branch of number theory. Now, there are so many Chinese scientists working on the problems that I work on,” said Andrew Wiles from Oxford University, who was among the 2024 Basic Science Lifetime Award winners. (Xinhua) | 