Science 'must stay open, cooperative'

The second World Laureates Forum ended yesterday with the unveiling of an international joint research laboratory for the world’s top scientists.

The laboratory will be the core of a World Laureates Association Science Community with the labs of top scientists with global influence introduced to promote the construction of a science and technology innovation center to originate ideas.

The aim is to build a cutting-edge scientific research and technology transfer and transformation base in fields such as health, artificial intelligence, integrated circuits and aerospace, attracting scientists from around the world.

At the closing ceremony in Shanghai there were calls for an emphasis on basic science, openness and cooperation, support for young scientists and the establishment of a healthy global scientific ecosystem.

The Lingang area and the association signed a contract to build the WLA Science Community.

Scientists believe the attention and emphasis on basic science should be reaffirmed because today’s world relies on original innovation more than ever before. They called on wide scientific cooperation in basic research throughout human society, and a broad allocation of greater resources to assure continuous advancement of original innovation powered by creativity and originality.

They said openness and cooperation in science and technology are the pillars for scientific development and that the sustainable growth of science comes from collisions of different ideas and diverse cultural backgrounds. With cross-border, cross-region, cross-discipline and cross-culture cooperation, a global network of scientific innovation that brings together more participants and contributors is bound to make a future with greater potential and prosperity.

They also called for more support for young scientists around the world since their new ideas and discoveries will ensure the continuation of scientific development. Young people’s involvement would not only empower scientific innovation, but also open up a new era for scientific research.

In his speech at the closing ceremony, Wu Qing, vice mayor of Shanghai, invited scientists to attend the third World Laureates Forum next year.

“This forum attracted 65 world top scientists, including 44 Nobel laureates, nearly 100 domestic and foreign academicians and 100 young scientists,” he said. “The eldest scientist is aged 90 while the youngest participant, who should be a future scientist, is only 15. And the forum has drawn high-level attention from scientific communities from all over China and overseas.”

Roger Kornberg, chairman of the World Laureates Association and winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, told Shanghai Daily he was sure many of the laureates attending this year would return next year.

“The most important purpose ... is to entertain. It should be enjoyable and the audience should find it interesting. This forum certainly achieved that purpose,” Kornberg said.