A press conference for the 2026 World Laureates Forum (WLF) was held in Lingang, Shanghai, on October 22. WU Xiaohua, Chairman of the World Laureates Foundation, presented an overview of this year’s forum and its key highlights. Six other speakers then took turns outlining the agendas and highlights of the six parallel forums and answering questions from reporters. The speakers were HU Dawei, Vice President of Shanghai University; XU Xu, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Lingang Laboratory; MENG Guang, Deputy Chair of the University Council at Shanghai Jiao Tong University; YANG Yanqin, Secretary of the Party Committee of Software Engineering Institute at East China Normal University; GENG Zhaohua, Vice Dean of the Xuemin Institute of Advanced Studies at Fudan University; and ZHAO Hongduo, Assistant President of Tongji University. The press conference was chaired by Fan Jianrong, Secretary-General of the World Laureates Foundation.
Image source：WORLD LAUREATES FORUM
According to information released at the press conference, the 2026 WLF will take place from October 30 to November 1 at its permanent venue, the Lingang Center in Shanghai, under the theme “New Science Paradigm: Break Through for the Next Decade.” The opening ceremony and main forum will be held on the morning of October 31. WAN Gang, former President of the China Association for Science and Technology, will serve as the forum’s Chinese chair, and Randy W. SCHEKMAN, a recipient of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, will serve as its international chair. The forum is hosted by the China Association for Science and Technology and co-hosted by the Parkland Foundation and the HongShan Charity Foundation. As many as 25 international and domestic scientific organizations, leading universities, and top laboratories will organize or support the event.
This year’s forum will bring together 33 recipients of leading international awards, including the Nobel Prize, Turing Award, Wolf Prize, and Fields Medal, alongside numerous members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), and overseas academies, distinguished experts and scholars, outstanding young scientists, and representatives of leading sci-tech enterprises. Focusing on the frontiers of global science and technology, the participants will discuss major issues concerning future sciences, including research paradigms, value chains, international cooperation, talent development, and science and technology governance.
The forum follows a “1+6+4+1” structure: one combined event comprising the opening ceremony, award ceremony, and main forum; six parallel forums; four themed events; and one closing ceremony. These will be complemented by a series of special activities, including science and technology tours and related exchange events. Together, the activities will engage leading scientists, senior researchers, young scientists, young people involved in science and technology innovation, and industrial incubation platforms. The opening ceremony will also feature the presentation of the 2026 WLF Prize in Computer Science or Mathematics and the 2026 WLF Prize in Life Science or Medicine, alongside the 2026 WLF Prize for Young Scientists, newly introduced this year.
Seven Key Highlights
Compared with previous editions, this year’s forum will feature an enhanced program with seven key highlights.
A more distinguished lineup of participants
33 leading scientists have confirmed their attendance, including seven Nobel laureates and three Turing Award laureates. Of these 33 scientists, seven will be attending the forum for the first time. They will be joined by 139 senior scientists and 81 young scientists, forming a distinctly tiered talent structure. Notably, participation by high-level Chinese scholars and members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering will increase significantly this year, further strengthening the lineup.
2026 WLF Prize laureates to be officially introduced at the opening ceremony
The 2026 WLF Prize Laureates were officially announced at the Lingang Center on September 10. The laureates, including SHAO Feng, the first Chinese national to win the prize, will receive their awards at the opening ceremony. Leading scientists from China and abroad, including Andrew Chi-Chih YAO, Liqun LUO, Efim ZELMANOV, and Randy W. SCHEKMAN, will attend to announce the awards and present them to the laureates. In addition, this year’s WLF Prize laureates will take part in a series of WLF Prize campus visits, meeting and exchanging ideas with young scholars at leading universities in Shanghai and Hong Kong.
A more prestigious opening ceremony and main forum
As the forum’s flagship event, the opening ceremony and main forum will retain their three customary components: opening addresses, the awards ceremony, and keynote speeches. This year’s opening ceremony will take place at the Summit Grand Ballroom in the Lingang Center and with roughly double the seating of last year's ceremony.The main forum will be a particular highlight. Omar M. YAGHI, a recipient of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry; HU Hailan, a female member of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Laurent LAFFORGUE, a 2002 Fields Medalist; and ZENG Yuqun, founder and chairman of CATL, will deliver keynote speeches in that order. This will mark the first time that a leading scientist from industry joins recipients of top scientific awards on stage to discuss the forum’s central themes.
Six parallel forums focusing on the frontiers of science and technology
The six parallel forums will focus on six emerging or frontier fields: future semiconductors, biomedicine, aerospace information, artificial intelligence, future energy, and quantum science. The forums will be organized by Shanghai University, Lingang Laboratory, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, East China Normal University, Fudan University, and Tongji University, respectively, in collaboration with national academic societies and leading companies.
Four engaging themed events
The Young Scientists Forum, themed “The Next Decade: Young Scientists Define Questions, Science Reshapes the Future,” will bring together laureates of the WLF Prize for Young Scientists and young scholars from around the world, giving them the opportunity to engage in dialogue with leading scientists.
The SHE Forum, themed “The Next Decade: Women’s Leadership in Science and a Resilient Future in the Age of AI,” will highlight the contributions and influence of women in science and technology worldwide.
The Future Scientists Forum, designed for children and teenagers and themed “The Next Decade: My Pact with Science,” will offer young participants opportunities to meet leading scientists from China and abroad face to face and inspire them to pursue their scientific dreams.
The World Top-Performing Incubator Conference, themed “The Next Decade: Deep Tech Transfer, The Critical Leap from Lab to Market,” will bring together incubator leaders from around the world to promote the incubation and commercialization of deep-tech research outcomes.
A series of distinctive side events
Science and technology tours along four routes will take participants to major research facilities and leading technology companies in Shanghai, including Tongji University’s intelligent connected vehicle testing and evaluation base, the National Facility for Protein Science in Shanghai, the Shanghai Astronomy Museum, and JCET’s automotive electronics facility. The tours will provide a comprehensive view of the latest achievements in Shanghai’s development as an international center for science and technology innovation.
The WLF HUB will be open to young researchers free of charge. A research poster exhibition featuring work by young scientists will also be held during the forum to showcase their latest findings at the frontiers of science and foster collaboration among industry, universities, and research institutes.
During the forum, a temporary exhibition titled “Liu Hui: The Great Mathematician of Ancient China,” will also be held in Shanghai. Through rare editions of historical texts, art installations, digital films, and interactive experiences, the exhibition will showcase the remarkable achievements of ancient Chinese mathematics and promote exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations.
Major outcomes to be unveiled at the closing ceremony
Next year will mark the 10th anniversary of the WLF. Under the theme “WLF’s 10th Anniversary: A New Beginning,” this year’s closing ceremony will highlight the key outcomes of this year’s forum, launch the global call for nominations for the 2027 WLF Prize, and formally put forward a proposal to establish an international organization. Together, these announcements will set out a blueprint for the forum’s transition from an annual gathering to a permanent platform for international cooperation in science and technology.
Six Parallel Forums
2026 marks the first year of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026–2030), with proactive planning for future industries becoming a key priority. In collaboration with leading universities in Shanghai, research institutions, and national academic societies, the 2026 WLF will organize six parallel forums covering future semiconductors, biomedicine, aerospace information, artificial intelligence, future energy, and quantum science. Aligned with national strategic deployments and Shanghai’s industrial development priorities, the forums will look ahead to the next decade and address key questions concerning scientific breakthroughs and industrial transformation across these six fields.
The Future Semiconductor Forum is jointly hosted by the Chinese Institute of Electronics and Shanghai University, with support from Fudan University, the Shanghai Institute of Microelectronics Industry at Shanghai University, and the journals Acta Electronica Sinica, Journal of Mechanical Engineering, and Moore and More. Academicians LIU Ming (female), WU Hanming, and Benoît DUBUIS will serve as co-chairs. ZHANG Jianhua (female), Vice President of Shanghai University, will serve as chair of the Organizing Committee. Academicians LIU Sheng and Adrian Mihai IONESCU, along with other experts, will participate in the discussions at the forum. Under the theme “The Next Decade: The Future of Semiconductors and Chips,” the forum will explore how AI can drive innovation and development in the semiconductor industry, assess technological development trajectories over the next decade, and examine models for training innovative talent.
The Lingang Symposium on Brain Diseases, initiated by Lingang Laboratory, is jointly hosted by the laboratory, the Chinese Society for Biomaterials, and the Chinese Society for Cell Biology. Nobel laureate Randy W. SCHEKMAN, WLF Prize laureate YUAN Junying (female), CAS Academician HU Hailan (female), and other distinguished scientists will share their latest findings. Focusing on major cerebral diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and depression, the forum will adopt a “3+1” structure, comprising three disease-focused sessions and one session dedicated to translational medicine, under the theme “The Next Decade: From Neuroscience Discoveries to Translational Medicine Breakthroughs.”
The Aerospace Forum is jointly hosted by the Chinese Society of Astronautics, the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), and Shanghai Jiao Tong University, with support from the Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics and the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites, both under the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Christian FEICHTINGER, Executive Director of the IAF, and CAS Academician HAN Jiecai, President of Harbin Institute of Technology, will serve as co-chairs. Sir Martin SWEETING, Academicians WANG Jianyu and LI Dong, and other experts will participate in the discussions. Under the theme “The Next Decade: Explore Universe, Benefit Humanity,” the forum aims to build an interdisciplinary hub for an increasingly interconnected space sector, linking overarching strategy, frontier technologies, engineering applications, and international cooperation.
The Artificial Intelligence Forum is jointly hosted by East China Normal University, the Chinese Association of Automation, and the China Institute of Communications, with support from Cambricon Technologies and Journal on Communications. CAS Academician HE Jifeng and Turing Award laureate Joseph SIFAKIS will serve as co-chairs. Turing Award laureates Martin HELLMAN and Jack DONGARRA, alongside industry representatives including CHEN Yunji and GAO Quanzhong, will participate in the discussions. Under the theme “The Next Decade: The Evolution and Governance of Artificial Intelligence,” the forum will place equal emphasis on technological innovation and ethical governance. Discussions will focus on cutting-edge technologies such as trustworthy AI, high-performance computing, AI chips, and humanoid robotics, as well as common challenges in global AI governance, aiming to help build a fair and equitable governance framework.
The Future Energy Forum and Watt Annual Meeting are jointly hosted by Fudan University, Watt, the Chinese Society for Electrical Engineering, CATL’s 21C Lab, and other organizations. Under the theme “The Next Decade: Future Energy, Energy Storage, and Computing Power Centers,” the forum will bring together the academic publishing community and industry to help translate research breakthroughs into practical applications. It will focus on new energy technologies, large-scale energy storage, energy use in computing centers, and space-based photovoltaics. Nobel laureate in Physics Konstantin NOVOSELOV, Eni Award laureate Jürgen CARO, and other distinguished experts will present the latest advances in the field.
The Quantum Science Forum is jointly hosted by the Chinese Physical Society, Tongji University, and the University of Science and Technology of China. Academicians YANG Jinlong and PAN Jianwei, together with Sir Andre GEIM, will serve as co-chairs. Under the theme “The Next Decade: Toward Practical Quantum Computing,” the forum will bring together Nobel laureates, academy members from China and abroad, leading young researchers, and founders of quantum technology companies. Through exchanges across disciplines and from diverse perspectives, the forum will explore the key challenges, pathways, and development trends in translating quantum technologies from the laboratory into industrial applications.
Themed Events and Special Activities
This year’s WLF will feature four major themed events: the Young Scientists Forum, the SHE Forum, the Future Scientists Forum, and the World Top-Performing Incubator Conference. They will focus, respectively, on exchanges among young scholars, showcasing the contributions of women in science and technology, inspiring scientific curiosity among children and teenagers, and promoting the incubation and commercialization of scientific and technological research outcomes. Together, these events will foster dialogue across the full spectrum of scientific enlightenment, talent development, and industrial application, helping to drive future innovation.
The forum will further strengthen collaboration between universities and local partners in science, technology, and innovation, providing a strong impetus to Shanghai’s development. Closely aligned with Shanghai’s efforts to build an international center for science and technology innovation, it will arrange four science and technology tour routes to comprehensively showcase the city’s major research infrastructure and its latest achievements in collaboration among industry, universities, and research institutes.
A series of engaging side events will bring the appeal of science beyond the conference venue. The World Laureates HUB will provide an informal space for scientists to exchange ideas freely, allowing researchers from different fields to spark new ideas and explore collaborations across disciplines. A series of campus visits by WLF Prize laureates will bring leading scientists to campuses and the front lines of research. For the first time, the scientists will leave Shanghai and travel to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, where, at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, they will meet students face to face, sharing their scientific ideas and the spirit of science with the younger generation.
CHEN Xin, vice chair of the Shanghai Association for Science and Technology, attended the press conference, along with senior representatives from the Lingang Special Area Administrative Committee, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tongji University, East China Normal University, Shanghai University, Lingang Laboratory, the Shanghai Lingang Science and Technology Innovation and Development Foundation, and the World Laureates Foundation, as well as more than 20 media representatives.
