(Immediate release)    24 October 2025

2025 Future Science Prize Week - Science Symposium
World-Renowned Scientists Gather to Inspire Future Thinking

The “Science Symposium”, one of the key events of the 2025 Future Science Prize Week (“Prize Week”) co-organised by the Future Science Awards Foundation and the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences, is taking place today and tomorrow (24 to 25 October) at the Hong Kong Science Museum. This year’s symposium has invited more than 30 leading international scientists to Hong Kong, including three Nobel Prize laureates, to deliver keynote speeches. Today, Professor Arieh WARSHEL, Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry 2013, shared his insights on the past and future of computational biology with symposium participants. Tomorrow, the symposium will feature keynote speeches by David GROSS and Reinhard GENZEL, laureates of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2004 and 2020, respectively.

Other guests attending the symposium today included Professor Rob KNIGHT, Wolfe Family Endowed Chair in Microbiome Research at Rady Children’s; Professor Ngaiming MOK, Member, Hong Kong Academy of Sciences, and Edmund and Peggy Tse Professor in Mathematics, Chair of Department of Mathematics, and Director of the Institute of Mathematical Research, The University of Hong Kong; Professor Jun YU, Member, Hong Kong Academy of Sciences, and Assistant Dean, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; Professor Song SUN, Laureate of 2021 Breakthrough New Horizons in Mathematics Prize, Professor, Institute for Advanced Study in Mathematics, Zhejiang University; and Professor Qilin ZHOU, Laureate of Physical Science Prize of 2018 Future Science Prize, Member, Chinese Academy of Sciences. They engaged in the exchange of research findings across the three major fields of chemistry, life sciences, and mathematics, exploring topics such as the principles of artificial intelligence, the pivotal role of gut microbiome in human health and disease, and perspectives on geometry.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Future Science Prize, making it a milestone of exceptional significance. Nearly 500 people attended the first day of the symposium, while many members of the public with an interest in scientific research joined online via live streaming to collectively witness this decade-defining moment. Ms. Man Lei CHEONG, Acting Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the Hong Kong SAR Government, officiated at the Prize Week Opening Ceremony and delivered a speech. Mr. Kwok Bun LEE, Commissioner for Innovation & Technology, also showed their support by participating in the event.

Professor Dennis Yuk-Ming LO, Co-Chair of the 2025 Future Science Prize Week Program Committee and President of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences, delivered the welcome address, noting that this year marks both the 10th anniversary of the Future Science Prize and the 10th anniversary of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences, making it a true "10 x 10" milestone and a double cause for celebration. He stated that this is also the third consecutive year that the Future Science Prize Week has been held in Hong Kong. Professor LO said that this annual scientific event not only showcases the scientific achievements of the Greater China region, highlighting the research strengths across the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, but also reinforces Hong Kong’s role as an international gateway and academic exchange hub. It fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, facilitates the exchange of top-tier talent, and enhances Hong Kong’s position and influence within the global landscape of innovation and technology. Through a wide range of public science outreach activities, the event also aims to ignite young people’s passion for science, nurture the next generation of innovators, and contribute to the national goal of becoming the “world’s primary centre for science and high ground for innovation”.

The symposium will continue tomorrow with various sessions on physics and computer science. As this year marks the 10th anniversary of the Future Science Prize, a special session will be held tomorrow to explore  "How to Run a Successful Prize". This session will feature distinguished guests who are or have been representatives of major international award committees, including Professor Thors Hans HANSSON, Former Chairman of the Nobel Physics Committee; Professor Ehud KEINAN, Council Member at the Wolf Foundation; and Professor Ingrid K. GLAD, Chair of the Board, The Abel Prize.

The 2025 Future Science Prize Week events are being live-streamed and can be watched on the official website of the 2025 Future Science Prize Week (https://www.futureprize-hk.org) and on the social media platforms of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences.

Highlights of the 2025 Future Science Prize Week (Hong Kong)