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12 Apr 2023

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Fields Medalist reveals the key to China’s rise in math

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The upcoming three years will be a critical period for China to thrive and excel in mathematics and that the country must have a clear vision of its capabilities and strengths, Shing-Tung Yau, an internationally renowned mathematician and the first ethnic Chinese to win the Fields Medal, crowned as the Nobel Prize in maths, in 1982, said at the Shanghai Master Forum on Science held at Fudan University on April 7.

As China strives to explore its own path to modernization, advancing scientific research is of paramount significance. Yau said, cutting-edge research is critical for China’s researchers to tackle major, long-standing scientific problems. He also emphasized the importance of mathematics, the foundation of both physics and engineering.

Since last year, Yau has been participating in the preparation for the first International Congress of Basic Science (ICBS), which is scheduled to be held in Beijing this July. He has invited scholars in mathematics, theoretical physics, and theoretical computer and information science to explore the frontiers of knowledge.

Yau has been dedicated to fostering talents who can lead the world’s mathematics development. To achieve this goal, Yau visited middle schools and even elementary schools across the country, selecting students with outstanding mathematical abilities. He also set up the Shing-Tung Yau Middle School Science Award, piquing students’ curiosity about mathematics and urging them to explore on their own. In April 2021, Yau became the founding dean of Qiuzhen College, Tsinghua University, to encourage mathematical study among college students.

When asked whether mathematicians would be replaced by AI, Yau replied that AI can only acquire data that have been contemplated by humans and it cannot surpass top human mathematicians. He also suggested that the only way to achieve fundamental breakthroughs in AI is to deepen the understanding of basic mathematics and combine it with engineering.

Wu Xinbao, vice chairman of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), attended the forum. Jin Li, president of Fudan University and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, presided over the forum and delivered a speech. 

The first Shanghai Master Forum on Science was launched on November 15, 2022. Michael Levitt, laureate of the 2013 Nobel Prize in chemistry, was invited as the keynote speaker.

See also: Shanghai Master Forum shines light on science

Presented by Fudan University

Writer: Chen Shuyang

Editor: Wang Mengqi, Li Yijie 

Designer: Jia Yingyue


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