Peking University, November 16, 2022: Following the mission "to promote basic science, advocate international cooperation and support younger generations of scientists,” the 5th World Laureates Forum was held under the theme "Science forward: Create a bright future" between November 3 and 7. Sixty world-renowned scientists, including 7 Nobel Prize Laureates and 30 Chinese academicians, from over 20 countries were invited to present their esteemed research results both online and offline.

Six Peking University scholars were invited to this year's forum, consisting of three top scientists Zhu Tong, Xiaoliang Sunney Xie and Wu Yundong, as well as three young scientists Mao Youdong, Ma Renmin and Jiang Demeng. Their outstanding achievements reflected the unremitting pursuit of "science and technology, for the common destiny of mankind" and each of them demonstrated their brilliant research results at the forum. Jointly, they strived to gather new consensus on cooperation, stimulate scientific innovation, and create new blueprints for the future.
 

Zhu Tong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and dean of the College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering at PKU, led a scientific expedition team this year on Mount Qomolangma, during which he used his own body as an experimental subject to explore the impact of altitude sickness on the human body.

During the Carbon Conference at the World Laureates Forum, scientists collaboratively presented a comprehensive analysis of the global carbon emission issue from three dimensions: "carbon policy," "zero carbon" and "green energy." Academician Zhu Tong said in his report that air pollution and climate change were the roots of multiple health problems. He proceeded to share his views on carbon education: "We need to be prepared, in terms of education, to mitigate climate change and also adapt to the current rapid pace of development. What we need to do urgently is to educate the public…”


Professor Xiaoliang Sunney Xie is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences, the US National Academy of Medicine, foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the current Director of Division of Sciences at Peking University. During the 2022 World Laureates Forum, Academician Xie shared his team's research results in the biomedical field in a presentation entitled “Transcription Elongation Loops Revealed by Single-cell 3D Genome Structures with High-Resolution.”

During his speech, Xie explained that dysregulation of transcription and genome structure could lead to neurodevelopmental disorders. Basic research in this field would therefore provide the foundation for the treatment of neurodevelopmental diseases such as autism and schizophrenia. In addition, the Dip-C-based data analysis method could also be applied to analyze single cell and conventional 3D genomes, transcriptomes, DNA methylation groups and other data to help scientists study cancer, organogenesis, learning and memory, aging and neurodegeneration and other life phenomena.


Wu Yundong is a member of the Chinese Academy of Science, and also a chair professor and project leader of the School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology at Peking University. Wu is mainly engaged in the research of chemical reaction mechanism and stereochemistry as well as drug design. He is also the first Chinese scholar to win the Fukai Medal.

After returning to teach at Peking University, Wu has worked as both chair professor and the Chancellor of Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School. In his inaugural speech, Wu said: "I would like to make two requests: firstly, please address me as a teacher; secondly, to whoever has a good idea for the future development of Shenzhen Research Institute, please feel free to contact me." Profound academic skills as well as an innovative and inclusive mentality would not have been the only shining trademarks when referring to Wu Yundong, since his long-lasting legacy at PKU is what he considers to be his greatest achievement.


Mao Youdong is a tenured Professor at the School of Physics and Quantitative Biology Center of Peking University. As the winner of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars in 2021, Mao published nearly 40 research papers in international academic journals such as Nature and Science. His research interest focuses on the mechanistic investigation of ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and its regulation of essential intracellular processes by leveraging multidisciplinary approaches in physical biology.

Looking back on his scientific research, the artificial intelligence algorithms he had derived were one of his proudest accomplishments, since he discovered the inner workings of the human proteasome holoenzyme supermolecular machine and its dynamic regulation and control at the atomic level.


Ma Renmin is a tenured associate professor at Peking University, and the winner of the National Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars. His research interests include micro-nano laser physics and devices, light-matter interaction, and non-Hermitian and topological photonics.

Ma Renmin's team has made systematic and innovative contributions in the field of laser miniaturization, which helped to solve the long-standing problem in the field of nano-optics, as well as having paved the way for further research in this area.


While pursuing his postdoctoral research at the Ecological Research Center of Peking University, Jiang Demeng has published more than 10 papers in SCI and Chinese core journals. His works mainly engaged in the ways wood production and biodiversity would respond to different forest management models, as well as models of bird species distribution.

Jiang believes that nature itself is like a fascinating book with lots to dive into. He set his goals as the following points: firstly, he would focus on his research goals and continuously work hard; secondly, he would maintain good relationships with locals during field research expeditions; and thirdly, he always made sure that during each research expedition, he would be the most knowledgeable and dependable person on his team. His goals and personality traits have shown his self-disciplinary nature as a scholar.

The World Laureates Forum, also known as the “WLA Forum,” is one of the world’s largest science and technology forums. Initiated by the World Association of Leading Scientists, each year the forum gathers a group of Nobel Prize, Turing Award and other top science award winners to discuss the current scientific and technological challenges facing humanity, sustainable development, and other imminent societal issues.

Written by: Zhang Yihe Estelle & Qiu Tian Niki
Edited by: Rose Li
Source: PKU News (Chinese)