The second Zhejiang Youth Scientists Festival was held at Westlake University’s Yungu Campus on July 16. The older, more experienced generation of scientists passed down not only their knowledge, but also their passion, integrity, and love for science to an eager audience of young scientific hopefuls.

The highlight of the festival was the “Light of Science” forum. Three distinguished scientists – President Yigong Shi, Jianfeng Zhang, and Prof. Jerry L. Workman – gathered to share their journey, inspirations, and thoughts.

President Yigong Shi

Shi, Westlake University president and member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, opened the forum by sharing his view that science is rational and methodical, and that scientific research is driven by burning passion that never gives up. Shi said that research puts wings on his back, explaining that “when one finds his belief, he finds the drive that keeps him moving forward.” The stubbornness and perseverance that powers scientific research comes from researchers’ firm belief in their calling and from independent critical thinking.

Jianfeng Zhang

Zhang, head of Alibaba’s Academy for Discovery, Adventure, Momentum and Outlook (DAMO), celebrated how “young scientists are receiving more and more attention from society. These young people at the peak of their intellectual abilities will also receive the best support from society.” Zhang believes that scientists today have access to the best tools to change the world, and that scientific development is changing the way people experience the world.

Prof. Jerry L. Workman

Workman is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and was invited to be a guest lecturer in the international summer camp organized by Westlake University’s School of Life Sciences. Workman said that science calls for cooperation, international vision, and the joint efforts of the global scientific community to achieve the breakthroughs of the future.

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Four Presentations From the Frontier of Artificial Intelligence

We now live in the age of AI, which is having a rapid and profound effect on our society and culture. How can we cope with these changes? Four researchers in the field of big data and AI shared their latest research results and their thoughts for the future.

Prof. Gang Huang

Prof. Gang Huang, a professor at Peking University and director of the National Key Laboratory for Data Spatial Technology and Systems, spoke about the need for an efficient, secure, and credible digitally connected universe.

Prof. Fei Wu

Prof. Fei Wu, executive deputy director of the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute and director of the Institute of Artificial Intelligence Research, Zhejiang University, spoke about developing AI models in professional fields, for example, by using specialized textbooks to train AI algorithms. He believes that this will stimulate further development of AI in areas such as law, education, and finance.

Prof. Chao Li

Prof. Yue Zhang

Prof. Chao Li, deputy dean of the Institute of Intelligent Computing at the Zhejiang Laboratory gave a keynote speech on China’s development of systems that combine edge computing, artificial intelligence, and remote sensing technology to process and analyze large volumes of data. Prof. Yue Zhang, head of the Natural Language Processing Lab at Westlake University spoke about current research on big data models and how the findings and results can be generalized for the benefit of society.

Six Young Scientists and Their Quest for Answers

 On the same day, six young scientists from Zhejiang Lab, Zhejiang University, Westlake University and Zhejiang University of Technology spoke about their most recent research.

Yi Feng 

Yi Feng, an expert at the Intelligent Computing Platform Research Center, Zhejiang Lab, shared the results of his study of fast radio bursts (FRBs) – mysterious, extremely high-energy radio signals – that have been captured by FAST (Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope).

Tan Tang

 Tan Tang, a researcher in the Hundred Talent Program at the School of Art and Archaeology of Zhejiang University, shared his inspiration for using AI to help with the restoration of old master paintings by analyzing faded colors and replicating the original shades.

Xushen Xiong

Xushen Xiong, a researcher in the Hundred Talent Program at the Liangzhu Lab at Zhejiang University gave a fascinating talk in which he presented his own genetic sequence and explained the secrets that it reveals.

Xin Yuan

Xin Yuan, head of the Sensing and Computational Imaging (SCI) Lab at Westlake University shared his vision of the next technological revolution from the perspective of computational imaging, which uses AI to enhance the capabilities of optical systems and the quality of imaging.

Prof. Xinwei Yao

Prof. Xinwei Yao, vice dean and professor at the Institute of Frontier Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, spoke about the new era of symbiosis between man and computers, and shared his thoughts on "swarm intelligence" and crowd computing.

Ennan Zhai

Ennan Zhai, senior specialist and head of network research at Alibaba Cloud gave a keynote speech on the unprecedented challenges created by the exponential development of cloud computing.

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 A Debate That Turned Philosophical

New technology offers a new future that will present humanity with all kinds of new opportunities and challenges. Six experts from different disciplines brought their different perspectives and shared their opinions on the topic of “Smart Technology and Future Society”. The presentations and discussion were lively and thought-provoking, and the following is a selection of quotes from the event.

Workman has a down-to-earth attitude toward AI: “When I am at the McDonald’s drive-through, I know it is AI that is taking my order. Most of the time it offers better service than humans.”

According to Prof. Jifan Zhou, professor at the Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, “We’ve seen the light, but the future hasn’t fully revealed itself to us.”

Prof. Shaoliang Yu, deputy director of the Optoelectronics Intelligent Computing Research Center at Zhejiang Lab has high hopes for AI: “It’ll liberate our intellectual minds.”

Prof. Zhenzhong Lan, head of the Deep Learning Laboratory at Westlake University remarked, “Let’s embrace AI and make it a friend at work and in life.”

Finally, Ying Liu, director of the documentary “In the Age of AI” for CCTV said, “When we made the documentary three years ago, we were still asking ourselves ‘are we in the age of AI yet?’ Now, there is no question about that!”