The International Year of Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development (IYBSSD) is a key moment of mobilization to convince every citizen of the importance of taking into account and mastering basic sciences to ensure a balanced, sustainable and inclusive development of the planet.

The sub-forum of the Forum on Frontiers of Quanta to Cosmos Physics has been successfully held in Hunan University in the city of Changsha, Hunan Province on April 16th, 2023. This forum is hosted by the International Center for Theoretical Physics-Asia Pacific (ICTP-AP) of UCAS, the Institute of Theoretical Physics (ITP) of CAS, Hangzhou Institute for Advanced Study of UCAS, and organized by Hunan University. This sub forum focused on the theme of "Particle Physics and Origin of Matter" and there are five scientists who brought us excellent repots on the theme, attracting over 320,000 audience watching online and offline.

Speakers from left to the right: Geng Chaoqiang, Yu Hongwei, Wang Qing, Li Haibo, Tang Yong

Yueliang Wu, the vice president of academic affairs from UCAS and the director of ICTP-AP stated that breakthroughs in the field of physics have inspired a series of major technology revolutions. For example, the introduction of Newtonian mechanics promoted the leap from the age of handicrafts industry to the age of steam and breakthroughs in basic science in the 19th century, such as the laws of electromagnetic induction promoted the second industrial revolution marked by the invention of electric power technology and the internal combustion engine, marking that mankind has entered the age of electricity. In the mid-20th century, the revolution in the field of physics with quantum mechanics and relativity as its core promoted major breakthroughs in atomic energy, computer science, bioengineering and space technology, marking that human society has entered the age of information. And Professor Wu pointed out that in the 21st century, we are faced with a new round of science and technological wave, students present at the forum are “in the flower of their age, and their spirit bright was as its height”. At last, he expressed his wish that the young talents could make their own contribution for the breakthroughs in the filed of basic science in the future and bring our society up to a higher ladder of development. 

Wu Yueliang

Liu Wen, president of the office of Scientific R&D, extended warm welcome to all the teachers and students at the forum. He said that as a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is vigorously emerging, scientific exploration, innovation and cross disciplinary development are all in acceleration. Hunan University, as a university of thousand years of history, has earnestly implemented the innovation-driven development strategy, aiming towards the cutting-edge technology in the world to enhance its basic research and promote original creativity. He hoped that this forum could provide an opportunity for audience from online and offline to learn about the mysterious nature of quanta to cosmos physics and significance of exploring the basic laws of nature science. 

Liu Wen

What’s worth mentioning is that there are also over 60 high school students taking part in this forum actively and during the Q&A session, they raised many questions about science, asking about how to choose their major when they go to college as well as career development. Professors were very glad to share their own experience with the students and encouraged them to devote themselves into scientific research and pursue their science dreams in the vast land of our nation with the aim of solving major scientific problems.