Fields Medalist Shing-Tung Yau stressed the importance of international scientific exchange and China's growing efforts to inspire scientific thinking among youth, speaking on the sidelines of the 2025 World Laureates Forum. With the theme "Science in Future," the forum opened in Shanghai on Saturday, bringing together about 150 scientists, including 25 recipients of prestigious international awards, to engage in extensive discussions on global cutting-edge scientific topics. Noting the event's role in fostering meaningful dialogue among top scientists, Yau, a mathematics professor at Tsinghua University, emphasized the importance of providing role models for aspiring scientists. As a renowned mathematician, he expressed his hope that new breakthroughs would be made in integrating his field with the hard sciences. Yau emphasized that while young Chinese researchers demonstrate strong knowledge, yet cultivating the ability to develop new insights and pioneer new approaches is an essential next step. The professor also revealed his support for Hong Kong's bid to host the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) around 2030. According to Yau, a successful bid would significantly benefit mathematical research and education across China and Asia. The ICM, held every four years since 1900, represents mathematics' highest international gathering, featuring the presentation of top awards including the Fields Medal. Shotlist: Shanghai, China - Oct 25, 2025: 1. Various of 2025 World Laureates Forum in progress, attendees; 2. Various of backdrop, banners of forum; Shanghai, China - Oct 25, 2025 3. SOUNDBITE (English) Shing-Tung Yau, Fields medalist/professor, Tsinghua University: "I think this is a good event as far as they recognize the best scientists in the whole world. So everybody knows who are leading the field, and young students and young researchers would know who would be the bright star that they should follow."; Shanghai, China - Oct 25, 2025 4. Various of Yau speaking, presenting award, posing for photos with others at forum; Shanghai, China - Oct 25, 2025 5. SOUNDBITE (English) Shing-Tung Yau, Fields medalist/professor, Tsinghua University (ending with shot 6): "Mathematics is very important in many other subjects, including in physics, in chemistry, in biology. Mathematics is the under-principle, really the foundation of all these subjects. And I believe that ambitious young researchers would be very excited to see how we can use mathematics to modernize some subjects."; FILE: Beijing, China - Date Unknown 6. Various of mathematicians giving lessons, tutoring students; FILE: Beijing, China - July 21, 2018 7. Examination hall of ninth S.T. Yau College Student Mathematics Contest; 8. Student giving presentation; 9. Various of Yau, other judges listening; Shanghai, China - Oct 25, 2025 10. SOUNDBITE (English) Shing-Tung Yau, Fields medalist/professor, Tsinghua University (starting with shot 9): "Many really talented young men are very knowledgeable now. But what is most important for us is creativity, so in graduate school we need to see how they are going to perform, and this will be important for the next three years."; FILE: Beijing, China - April 19, 2021 11. Gate to Tsinghua University; FILE: Beijing, China - Date Unknown 12. Tree, building at Tsinghua University; FILE: Sanya City, Hainan Province, south China – 2023 13. Various of Yau reviewing papers; Shanghai, China - Oct 25, 2025 14. SOUNDBITE (English) Shing-Tung Yau, Fields medalist/professor, Tsinghua University (starting with shot 13/partially overlaid with shot 15/ending with shot 16): "There's one of the reasons I want to see the International Congress of Mathematics will come to Hong Kong after four or five years, and this will be a serious encouragement for our children, for our young students to charge on to show to the world what they can do. So I think this would be very important for our future in the mathematics community and in China and also in Asian countries."; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] FILE: Beijing, China - Date Unknown 15. Various of Yau teaching students; [SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE] FILE: Beijing, China - March 2025 16. Yau working; 17. Various of photos of mathematicians, researchers in Yau Mathematical Sciences Center on board. [Restriction - No access Chinese mainland]