World Young Scientist Summit 2026 Opens in Wenzhou With Focus on AI Era

Hosts, attendees and theme

The summit is hosted by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), the Zhejiang Provincial People's Government and the World Association of Young Scientists. Its overall theme is "Gathering Talents Worldwide to Create a Better Future."

According to the report, the event aims to draw on the insights of young people around the world and deepen international sci-tech cooperation. Young talents under the age of 45 account for 88 percent of participants, reflecting a stronger emphasis on the growth needs of young scientists.

Officials who attended and delivered remarks included He Junke, Vice President of CAST, and Marcelo Knobel, Executive Director of The World Academy of Sciences. Lian Yimin of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Zhang Zhenfeng, Secretary of the CPC Wenzhou Municipal Committee, also spoke. Yao Gaoyuan, Vice Governor of the Zhejiang Provincial People's Government, presided over the first segment of the plenary session.

Keynotes and releases

Four keynote speeches covered education reform in the AI era, AI and processor chips, young women scientists' participation in science, and quantum computing. The speakers were:

• Efim Zelmanov, Fields Medalist and Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Chen Yunji, Deputy Director of the Institute of Computing Technology, CAS, and Director of the National Key Laboratory of Processor Chips
• Mary Garson, President of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry
• Lu Chaoyang, Chairman of the Council of the World Association of Young Scientists

The summit released the Report on the Distribution and Mobility of Young Scientists in the Field of Embodied Intelligence. It also launched the World Young Scientist Summit Partner Journal Program and the 2026 World Young Scientist Innovation and Entrepreneurship Growth Support Program. A "Young Scientist Pioneers 2035" list was published as well.

The 2026 Sustainable Development Young Scientist Award was announced, with awards presented to four Chinese and foreign scientists. Two of the winners, César de la Fuente and Nicola Segata, spoke in a flash-talk session alongside Chen Tianrun, Founder of Hangzhou Moxin Technology Co., Ltd., and Yuan Yang of Tsinghua University's Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences.

Forums, exhibition and goals

The conference focused on fields such as future manufacturing, quantum information, embodied intelligence, brain-computer intelligence, environmental science, deep-sea resources, and life and health. It held 12 parallel forums on these topics.

Other elements included the "Gravitation π" Future Technology and Concept Products Exhibition and Exchange, local thematic side events, and sci-tech and humanities study visits. According to the report, these are meant to build an interdisciplinary, cross-regional and cross-sector platform for youth sci-tech exchange and cooperation.

The organizers stated that the summit aimed to build a cluster of international journals, bring together young scientific talent, facilitate a batch of international collaborative projects and advance the application and commercialization of scientific and technological achievements.

What it means

The package of journals, support programs and a dedicated report on embodied intelligence suggests the organizers want the summit to produce lasting structures for early-career researchers, not only a one-off gathering. The source does not give details on funding, eligibility or timelines for the new programs, so their reach remains to be seen.