The Science and Technology in Society (STS) forum held its 21st annual meeting in Kyoto, Japan, from October 5 to 8, 2024. This year’s forum gathered experts from industry, government, and academia around the world, with nearly a thousand participants in attendance. The event invited leaders from government departments, CEOs and CTOs of major corporations, as well as presidents, senior officials, and professors of academic and research institutions. The sub-forums covered various topics, including renewable energy, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, environmental protection, marine resources, climate change, government policies, materials science and engineering, disease prevention, and healthcare. Through keynote speeches and discussions, the forum aimed to bring together knowledge and experience from global experts to explore innovative directions for the future of science and society. This year, Academia Sinica was invited to recommend three representatives to attend, each of whom are leaders in their respective research fields and possess strong English communication skills. Dr. Wei Chen was nominated by our center and Academia Sinica to attend this year’s STS forum and to participate in the “Young Leaders Program” held on October 5.

This year’s Young Leaders Program invited about 130 professors, researchers, engineers, and leaders from government and industry. The distinguished young leaders who were invited to participate in the full agenda of the STS forum’s annual meeting, including dialogue sessions with 10 Nobel Laureates. Dr. Wei Chen attended the “Dialogue between Young Leaders and Nobel Laureates” session and had a one-on-one discussion with the 2001 Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry, Professor Noyori Ryōji (Honorary Academician of Academia Sinica and former President of RIKEN). They discussed his groundbreaking achievements in organometallic molecular catalysts and asymmetric synthesis reactions, as well as the perspectives and challenges young scholars face in the global competition. Additionally, Dr. Chen also had a conversation with Professor Akira Yoshino, the 2019 Nobel Prize Laureate in Chemistry, about his research journey and achievements in lithium-ion batteries, the current challenges faced by battery and electrode technology, and the potential developments in next-generation energy storage devices. In addition, Professor Chen also discussed the discovery and development of RNA interference with Professor Andrew Fire, the 2006 Nobel Prize Laureate in Physiology or Medicine and a professor in the Department of Pathology and Genetics at Stanford University. He introduced to Professor Fire the application and development of his laboratory’s technology using nanomaterials for RNA delivery in disease treatment.

During the three-day conference, Dr. Chen participated in in-depth discussions and interactions with representatives from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Finland, Australia, and other countries. These representatives included professors, government officials, and industry leaders. Dr. Chen also introduced the research topics and directions of his lab to the global academic, governmental, and industrial communities, for more potential opportunities and collaborations in the future. Dr. Chen is deeply grateful to Academia Sinica for their recognition, recommendation, and financial support, which enabled him to participate in this year’s STS forum and its Young Leaders Program.

The website for the STS Forum and Young Leaders Program: https://www.stsforum.org/kyoto2024/