Any attempt to restrict scientists is are doomed to fail, and collaboration and communications will always prevail, Fields medalist Efim Zelmanov said in a recent interview in Tengchong City, southwest China's Yunnan Province.
Zelmanov, the 1994 winner of the Fields Medal and the most prestigious prize in mathematics, attended the 2025 Tengchong Scientists Forum that wrapped up in Yunnan on Sunday. Hundreds of the world's leading scientists, scholars and entrepreneurs discussed frontier research and the integration of science with industry at the event.
In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), the renowned mathematician said mathematics have become increasingly prominent nowadays thanks to the development of modern technologies, especially the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI).
"Never in history, mathematics enjoyed such a support at all levels of societies, support from governments. It is particularly noticeable in China. I was really impressed by the level of support at all levels, up to the very top. Artificial intelligence grew out of mathematics, people understand it. Even though AI grew out of mathematics and deep learning algorithm is a mathematical algorithm still in understanding. A lot is left to be done," he said.
He underscored the importance of collaboration and communication in global scientific development, saying that restrictions will never succeed and the fundamental drive for scientific exchange transcends political borders.
"International collaboration is now increasingly important. When I was a student, most papers were single-authored papers. Now, it's an exception. Most papers have several authors very often from different countries. Communications became so much convenient, so much easier with Zoom, with internet, with everything. Political problems, yes, create hurdles. We feel it at our center. And [in] the United States many mathematicians visit us, in Texas or Florida.They have problems, yes. But judging by the history, if you look back, all efforts to restrict communication of mathematicians will fail. Mathematicians do communicate. They communicated during the Cold War. Collaboration will win," said the scientist.
Collaboration, not restrictions, fuels scientific development: Fields medalist
