2025 Future Science Prize Week - Science Symposium World-Renowned Scientists Gather to Inspire Future Thinking

The “Science Symposium”, one of the key events of the 2025 Future Science Prize Week (“Prize Week”) co-organised by the Future Science Awards Foundation and the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences, is taking place today and tomorrow (24 to 25 October) at the Hong Kong Science Museum.This year’s symposium has invited more than 30 leading international scientists to Hong Kong, including three Nobel Prize laureates, to deliver keynote speeches. Today, Professor Arieh WARSHEL, Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry 2013, shared his insights on the past and future of computational biology with symposium participants. Tomorrow, the symposium will feature keynote speeches by David GROSS and Reinhard GENZEL, laureates of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2004 and 2020, respectively.

Professor Arieh WARSHEL, Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry 2013, delivered a keynote speech in the Science Symposium, sharing his insights on the past and future of computational biology with participants. (Photo provided by the Future Science Prize)

Other guests attending the symposium today included Professor Rob KNIGHT, Wolfe Family Endowed Chair in Microbiome Research at Rady Children’s; Professor Ngaiming MOK, Member, Hong Kong Academy of Sciences, and Edmund and Peggy Tse Professor in Mathematics, Chair of Department of Mathematics, and Director of the Institute of Mathematical Research, The University of Hong Kong; Professor Jun YU, Member, Hong Kong Academy of Sciences, and Assistant Dean, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Professor Song SUN, Laureate of 2021 Breakthrough New Horizons in Mathematics Prize, Professor, Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics, Zhejiang University; and Professor Qilin ZHOU, Laureate of Physical Science Prize of 2018 Future Science Prize, Member, Chinese Academy of Sciences. They engaged in the exchange of research findings across the three major fields of chemistry, life sciences, and mathematics, exploring topics such as the principles of artificial intelligence, the pivotal role of gut microbiome in human health and disease, and perspectives on geometry.

The 2025 Future Science Prize Week kicked off today with a two-day Science Symposium gathering top international scientists. (Photo provided by the Future Science Prize)

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Future Science Prize, making it a milestone of exceptional significance. Nearly 500 people attended the first day of the symposium, while many members of the public with an interest in scientific research joined online via live streaming to collectively witness this decade-defining moment. Ms. Man Lei CHEONG, Acting Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the Hong Kong SAR Government, officiated at the Prize Week Opening Ceremony and delivered a speech. Mr. Kwok Bun LEE, Commissioner for Innovation & Technology, also showed their support by participating in the event.

Ms. Man Lei CHEONG, Acting Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the Hong Kong SAR Government, officiated at the Prize Week Opening Ceremony and delivered a speech. (Photo provided by the Future Science Prize)

Professor Dennis Yuk-Ming LO, Co-Chair of the 2025 Future Science Prize Week Program Committee and President of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences, delivered the welcome address, noting that this year marks both the 10th anniversary of the Future Science Prize and the 10th anniversary of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences, making it a true "10 x 10" milestone and a double cause for celebration. He stated that this is also the third consecutive year that the Future Science Prize Week has been held in Hong Kong. Professor LO said that this annual scientific event not only showcases the scientific achievements of the Greater China region, highlighting the research strengths across the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, but also reinforces Hong Kong’s role as an international gateway and academic exchange hub. It fosters interdisciplinary collaboration,facilitates the exchange of top-tier talent, and enhances Hong Kong’s position and influence within the global landscape of innovation and technology. Through a wide range of public science outreach activities, the event also aims to ignite young people’s passion for science, nurture the next generation of innovators, and contribute to the national goal of becoming the “world’s primary centre for science and high ground for innovation”.

Professor Dennis Yuk-Ming LO, Co-Chair of the 2025 Future Science Prize Week Program Committee and President of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences, said that the Future Science Prize Week enhances Hong Kong’s position and influence within the global landscape of innovation and technology and nurtures the next generation of innovators. (Photo provided by the Future Science Prize)

The symposium will continue tomorrow with various sessions on physics and computer science. As this year marks the 10th anniversary of the Future Science Prize, a special session will be held tomorrow to explore "How to Run a Successful Prize". This session will feature distinguished guests who are or have been representatives of major international award committees, including Professor Thors Hans HANSSON, Former Chairman of the Nobel Physics Committee; Professor Ehud KEINAN, Council Member at the Wolf Foundation; and Professor Ingrid K. GLAD, Chair of the Board, The Abel Prize.

The first day’s session of the Science Symposium on Chemistry featured speakers including Professor Xinyuan LIU (Second Left), Chair Professor, Southern University of Science and Technology; Professor Qilin ZHOU (Second Right), Laureate of the 2018 Future Science Prize in Physical Science; and Professor Zhiwei ZUO (First Right), Professor, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Professor Zuowei XIE (First Left), Member of the 2025 Future Science Prize Week Program Committee served as moderator. (Photo provided by the Future Science Prize)

The 2025 Future Science Prize Week events are being live-streamed and can be watched on the official website of the 2025 Future Science Prize Week (https://www.futureprize-hk.org) and on the social media platforms of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences.

The 2025 Future Science Prize Week kicked off today with a two-day Science Symposium gathering top international scientists. (Photo provided by the Future Science Prize)

Highlights of the 2025 Future Science Prize (Hong Kong)

Details can be found on the official website of the 2025 Future Science Prize Week
(https://www.futureprize-hk.org)

The 2025 Asian Young Scientist Fellowship (AYSF) Annual Conference, one of the highlights of the 2025 Future Science Prize Week, was held today (23 October) at The University of Hong Kong (HKU). Twelve outstanding young scientists from Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore were awarded the “2025 Asian Young Scientist Fellowship”. Today’s Annual Conference also featured Professor Randy SCHEKMAN, laureate of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, who shared his scientific journey and insights with the young scientists.

Professor Randy SCHEKMAN, laureate of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, delivered a keynote speech at the 2025 Asian Young Scientist Fellowship (AYSF) Annual Conference (Photo provided by the Future Science Prize)

300 young scientists, researchers from various regions, and members of the public were invited to the Conference. The event aimed to foster interdisciplinary dialogue among emerging scientists and spark innovation through meaningful exchange and collaboration.

Nearly 300 young scientists and researchers from various regions, as well as members of the general public, were invited to the 2025 Asian Young Scientist Fellowship (AYSF) Annual Conference. (Photo provided by the Future Science Prize)

Professor Jay Steven SIEGEL, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning), The University of Hong Kong, along with Professor Tim Kwang Ting CHENG, Chair of the 2025 Steering Committee of the Asian Young Scientist Fellowship, and Vice-President for Research and Development at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, delivered the opening remarks. Committee representatives, including Hee-Sup SHIN, Honorary Fellow, Institute for Basic Science (IBS); Professor Hongming WENG, Professor of Physics at the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Professor Jong Hae KEUM, Professor at the School of Mathematics, Korea Institute for Advanced Study; and Professor Akihiro NAKAO, Professor at the Department of Systems Innovation, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, presented awards to the attending awardees of the 2025 Asian Young Scientist Fellowship across three major fields: Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Mathematics and Computer Science.

The 2025 Asian Young Scientist Fellowship (AYSF) Annual Conference was held at The University of Hong Kong. Professor Jay Steven SIEGEL, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning), The University of Hong Kong, delivered the opening remarks. (Photo provided by the Future Science Prize)

The award ceremony was followed by a panel discussion to explore the theme "Building the Asian Scientific Research and Innovation Ecosystem." The session was moderated by Professor Stephanie MA, Vice President of the Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences and Associate Vice-President (Research and Innovation) at The University of Hong Kong. The distinguished panellists included Professor Randy SCHEKMAN; Professor Tim Kwang Ting CHENG; Professor Wanjin HONG, Chief Business Development Officer of the Biomedical Research Council (BMRC) at A*STAR; Ambassador George HARA, Group Chairman and CEO of DEFTA Partners; and Jenny ZENG, Founding Donor of the Asian Young Scientist Fellowship and Founder and Managing Partner of MSA Capital.

A panel discussion to explore how to build the Asian Scientific Research and Innovation Ecosystem was held following the awards ceremony. (Photo provided by the Future Science Prize)

This year, the twelve awardees of the "Asian Young Scientist Fellowship" were recognised for their remarkable achievements in a variety of research fields. Among them, Professor Danfeng LI, Associate Professor at City University of Hong Kong, was honoured for his discovery of the first nickelate superconductor, becoming the sole local scholar to receive the award. Professor Jun LIU, Assistant Professor at the School of Life Sciences, Peking University, was recognised for revealing the regulatory mechanisms by which RNA modifications modulate chromatin function – such as gene transcription and genome stability –and their critical roles in early embryonic development, stem cell fate determination, and cancer. Professor Wenya WANG, Assistant Professor at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, was recognised for her contribution to the integration of symbolic logic and deep learning, with the aim to build more robust artificial intelligence models. Professor Seongjun PARK, Associate Professor at Seoul National University, Korea, was honoured for his pioneer work in developing generation biomedical and neural interfaces that connect living systems with non-living systems.

Professor Tim Kwang Ting CHENG, Chair of the 2025 Steering Committee for the Asian Young Scientists Fellowship and Vice-President for Research and Development at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, congratulated the 12 outstanding young scientists honoured as Asian Young Scientist Fellows. (Photo provided by the Future Science Prize)

The Asian Young Scientist Fellowship (AYSF) Annual Conference aims to encourage and support promising and outstanding young researchers in Asia, supporting creative and transformative research, fostering cross disciplinary innovation and international exchanges. Each of the 12 awardees will receive USD$100,000 in funding over two years.

Outstanding young scientists participated in today’s 2025 Asian Young Scientist Fellowship (AYSF)Annual Conference in Hong Kong to receive the “2025 Asian Young Scientist Fellowship”. (Photo provided by the Future Science Prize)

The third day (24 October) of the 2025 Future Science Prize Week will feature the "Science Symposium I"event. More than 30 renowned scientists will participate, including Professor Arieh WARSHEL, the 2013 Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry, who will share insights on the past and future of computational biology.The 2025 Future Science Prize Week events are being live-streamed and can be watched on the official website (https://www.futureprize-hk.org) and on the social media platforms of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences.

Highlights of the 2025 Future Science Prize Week (Hong Kong)

Details can be found on the official website of the 2025 Future Science Prize Week
(https://www.futureprize-hk.org)