From December 5 to 7, the Tengchong Scientists Forum 2025 was held in Tengchong City, Yunnan Province. The event was jointly hosted by People’s Government of Yunnan Province and China Association for Science and Technology, with support from Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Nankai University (NKU). Chen Yulu,  President of Nankai University, attended the opening ceremony, presided over the opening keynote session, and participated in University Presidents Forum. Fang Yongchun, NKU Vice President, chaired the academicians’ keynote reports and the awardees’ presentations at Young Scientists Forum, and took part in the Key University Presidents Symposium and the Roundtable Meeting of University Presidents Forum. NKU took the lead in organizing Young Scientists Forum at Tengchong Scientists Forum 2025 and signed a science and technology cooperation agreement with People’s Government of Yunnan Province .

Under the theme “Science·AI Changing the World”, the 2025 edition brought together over a thousand participants. Distinguished guests included winners of major international scientific awards such as the Nobel Prize, the Fields Medal, and the Turing Award, alongside more than 130 academicians and over 70 university presidents from China and abroad.

Chen Yulu was invited to preside over the opening keynote session and was joined by a panel of distinguished guests, including Andrew Chi-Chih Yao, Turing Award recipient and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); Efim Zelmanov, Fields Medalist; Konstantin Novoselov, Nobel Laureate; Pan Jianwei, 2025 Tengchong Science Award Laureate and CAS Academician; Huang Sanwen, CAS Academician and President of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, as well as Wang Xingxing, General Manager, Chairman, and CTO of Unitree Robotics. Together they delved into cutting-edge topics ranging from digital security and mathematical perspectives on AI to AI-empowered material design, quantum networks, agricultural science and technology, and embodied intelligent robotics. Through these discussions, they shared insights into the evolving global science and technology landscape and explored pathways for scientific and technological innovation and development.

In his presiding remarks, Chen Yulu acknowledged the significant contribution of the Tengchong Scientists Forum to championing the spirit of science and scientists, establishing a high-end platform for scientific exchange, stimulating vibrant clash and fusion of ideas among scientists, and joining forces in promoting in-depth global collaboration in science, technology, and innovation. Through four years of dedicated development, the forum has progressed through stages of creation, consolidation, and refinement to evolve into an influential, widely acclaimed event within the global scientific community. This status is formally recognized by its inclusion in the Action Plan of the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting. President Chen also emphasized NKU’s role as a co-initiator and key supporter of the forum and the institution’s commitment to working closely with all parties concerned to vigorously promote the spirit of scientists, building national strategic scientific and technological capabilities, and continuing injecting steady momentum into global scientific and technological collaboration, innovation, and development. 

At the opening ceremony of the main forum, NKU and People’s Government of Yunnan Province signed a science and technology cooperation agreement. NKU Vice President Fang Yongchun and Wang Xueqin, Vice Governor of Yunnan Province, signed the agreement on behalf of the two institutions. According to the agreement, the two parties will join forces to tackle scientific and technological challenges in key fields such as biomedicine, ecological and environmental protection, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, new materials, smart tourism, and digital economy. The collaboration will involve joint establishment of national and provincial-level high-end research platforms and advancement in research translation. Furthermore, both sides will deepen cooperation in talent recruitment and cultivation, strategic consultation, and the co-organization of the Tengchong Scientists Forum. This partnership aims to support Yunnan’s socio-economic development and industrial structure upgrading, and usher in a new chapter of in-depth, integrated, and high-quality university-region collaboration. 

During the forum, Fang Yongchun participated in a symposium between Yunnan provincial leadership and presidents of key universities. At the roundtable session of the University Presidents Forum, Fang shared NKU’s recent innovative measures and practical experience in industry-academia integration from three perspectives: dynamically adapting academic disciplines to industrial needs; strengthening talent development to build industry-academia synergy; and developing end-to-end support mechanism for research translation.

As one of the three main sub-forums of Tengchong Scientists Forum, the Young Scientists Forum 2025 was held on December 5. Guided by the Chinese Association of Young Scientists and Technologists, the event was co-hosted by NKU, Kunming University of Science and Technology, the Communist Youth League Yunnan Provincial Committee, and the Tengchong Outstanding Young Scientists Award Organizing Committee. The event brought together distinguished guests from various sectors, including academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, scholars, experts, young researchers from China and abroad, as well as leading industry figures. Participants explored cutting-edge scientific advancements and AI-driven acceleration of research paradigm transformation.

（Edited and translated by Nankai News Team.)