Korea Herald correspondent
Hong Kong — More than 200 young scientists from over 20 countries gathered in Hong Kong this month for the 2025 Hong Kong Laureate Forum, a four-day event created to bring emerging researchers into direct conversation with some of the world’s most distinguished scientific minds.
Built around the prestige of the Shaw Prize, often described as the “Nobel of the East,” the forum invited 12 laureates in astronomy, mathematics and life sciences to join young participants for lectures, lab visits and long, informal discussions.
Organizers intentionally structured each session and meal to mix groups, ensuring that conversations with laureates unfolded naturally.
“This is about nurturing the future generation of scientists,” said professor Timothy Tong, chair of the Forum Council. “Hong Kong is very fortunate to have the Shaw Prize laureates as a resource. Bringing them back to meet young people. That’s how we help them see what science can be.”
The result was a setting far removed from the traditional dynamic of students sitting quietly in back rows. Participants described an environment designed for proximity, dialogue and candid curiosity.
“It’s probably the only event where a Nobel-level mathematician ends up explaining his research over some dimpsums,” a participant from the United States joked.
Throughout the week, young researchers peppered laureates with questions about failure, curiosity, career choices and whether major awards shaped the way they conduct science.
“It’s a great opportunity for young scientists like us to meet fellow researchers from different regions,” Zara Chui Siu Wa, a postgraduate student at the University of Hong Kong, said.
“Here, I met so many interesting researchers from Taiwan, the United States and other European countries. We exchanged what we were working on, and all the conversations really enlightened me. Here, curiosity feels safe and is honored,” she added.
Tong noted that today’s young researchers face expectations that earlier generations did not.
“In my time, doing fundamental work and publishing was enough,” he said. “Now people also want to see your research translate into something usable, something that benefits the public.”
That dual pressure, to explore deeply and to produce practical outcomes, was reflected throughout the week’s panels and lab tours. Young participants visited life science centers where researchers demonstrated how basic discoveries become medical technologies or biotech products.
“Understanding both ends of the spectrum is essential now,” Tong said. “Curiosity and application are not opposites. They depend on each other.”
Despite global geopolitical tensions and travel restrictions that have complicated international collaboration, Tong emphasized that scientific exchange must remain open.
The forum, he said, aims to serve as “a base camp” from which young scientists begin their own expeditions into research.
“It’s good for mankind. … We want scientists from China, the UK, America, Spain, Singapore, from everywhere. Bringing them together is how discovery happens.”
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