Nobel laureate Omar Yaghi, now a chaired professor at the prestigious Tsinghua University of China, has advised young scholars and researchers not to be confined by templates or frameworks, but be courageous in taking risks.
Yaghi won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work in the development of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a revolutionary class of hybrid materials that are ultra-porous. MOFs offer new possibilities in a huge range of fields, from carbon capture and hydrogen storage to water purification and drug delivery.
In an interview with China Media Group (CMG) on the sidelines of the 2026 World AI Conference that opened in Shanghai on Friday, Yaghi said that the secret to success is to always maintain a passion for scientific research and life itself.
"I think my goal was to make beautiful things, that we need to encourage young scholars not to follow a blueprint for success. Give me the parameters for success and I shall succeed. That's not what we want young scholars to do. We want them to learn how to navigate through chaos, through taking risk, and still get to their objectives. That's the fun part. So there hasn't been a day in my life where I didn't wake up really excited about going to my office, to my lab. The motivating force (is strong)," he said.
Nobel laureate advises young scholars to maintain passion on life, work
Nobel laureate advises young scholars to maintain passion on life, work
Business leaders, researchers and entrepreneurs from around the world gathered at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC), where discussions are focusing on turning AI innovation into cross-border partnerships and real-world applications.
The 2026 WAIC is running in Shanghai from Friday to Monday under the theme "AI Partnership for a Brighter Future."
Across the exhibition halls, conversations often extended beyond product demonstrations, with visitors exploring potential partnerships, supply chains and overseas expansion.
Among them was Paolo Brizzi, chief information officer of Italy's Competence Center for Industry and Manufacturing (CIM), who met with a Chinese AI company to discuss cooperation ranging from industrial applications to entering the European market.
"My point is not to be a customer or a provider of technologies, but to identify parts [where we can] actually collaborate and work together," he said.
The four-day conference has also created opportunities for startups to connect with investors, researchers and potential customers. One startup launched an online networking group on the opening day, attracting hundreds of participants who exchanged ideas, explored business opportunities and sought technical solutions.
Participants said AI innovation depends not only on technological breakthroughs but also on cooperation across industries and countries.
"Collaboration is important because alone you cannot do so much. It needs to be a team support ecosystem," said Florian Wohlrab, CEO of Canada-based OpenHW Foundation.
For many international visitors, the conference is also an opportunity to explore how AI can help address practical challenges. Omar Khan, a participant from Pakistan, said international cooperation is essential to ensuring AI benefits everyone.
"I think, for me, we are all the one. We're human and I think we can cooperate a lot," he said.
Some attendees were looking for solutions to challenges in their home countries. A visitor from Kenya said AI applications such as weather forecast and soil analysis could help improve agricultural productivity across many parts of Africa, where farming remains a cornerstone of the economy.
As countries race to advance AI technologies, participants at this year's WAIC said the conference has become a platform for connecting ideas, technology and demand across borders, helping turn AI innovation into practical international cooperation.
World AI Conference highlights growing demand for global AI partnership
