The 2024 World Laureates Association (WLA) Forum is being held in Shanghai from Friday to Sunday at its permanent venue in the city's Lin-gang Special Area.
With the theme "Excellence in Science," this annual event includes over 10 thematic conferences and off-site exchanges, drawing renowned scientists, members of research institutions, innovative companies, and venture capital firms.
Nearly 300 prominent scientists from around the world, including 11 Nobel Prize laureates, are in Shanghai for the three-day forum.
At the opening ceremony, Nobel Prize winners David Gross and Christopher Pissarides, in physics and economics respectively, discussed the role of science and scientists in a rapidly changing world, addressing both challenges and opportunities presented by disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Some attendees are recipients of the 2024 WLA Prize, along with academicians from China's top two academies – the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering. They are leading various sessions focusing on advancements and innovations in fundamental and interdisciplinary sciences, spanning fields of physical science, chemical engineering, ocean carbon emissions, and intelligence science.
The forum also aims to inspire young scientists, inviting over 80 promising young researchers, more than 50 of whom are first-time participants, to display their scientific achievements.
Committed to cultivating future scientific talents, this forum also features the Sci-T Conference, bringing together 100 young science enthusiasts selected through a nationwide search and the Science Education Forum, a novel initiative focusing on empowering middle school girls interested in science.
The WLA is also committed to popularizing science, with laureates and leading experts not only present at the main venue but also engaging with students at universities and research institutions across Shanghai. Over the past week, WLA prize winners and lecturers have connected with students of all ages throughout the city.
The World Laureates Association (WLA) is a non-governmental and non-profit international organization. It is one of the world's highest-profile organizations of laureates that brings together preeminent scientists from a diverse range of disciplines, including mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, computer science, and other fields.
Shanghai hosts 2024 World Laureates Association Forum
China's civil aviation industry is recovering with historic breakthroughs made in aviation manufacturing, chairman of the China Air Transport Association (CATA) said during the Second CATA Aviation Conference, which opened on Friday in Beijing.
According to CATA, in the first three quarters of this year, the civil aviation industry completed a total transportation turnover of 110.66 billion ton-kilometers, with a passenger transport volume of 550 million passengers, and a cargo and mail transport volume of 6.489 million tons, increasing by 27.4 percent, 19.1 percent, and 24.4 percent respectively compared to the same period last year. Compared to the same period in 2019, the growth rates were 14.5 percent, 11.2 percent, and 19 percent respectively.
The major indicators show leading year-on-year growth and recovery in the global aviation sector, said CATA.
"The passenger and cargo transport volumes are expected to surpass 720 million passengers and 8.5 million tons respectively in 2024, setting new historical records," said Wang Changshun, CATA chairman.
Furthermore, China's aviation industry is advancing its digitalization and green transformation, with a continuous enhancement in energy efficiency and carbon reduction.
In 2023, the fuel consumption per ton-kilometer dropped by 14.3 percent compared to that in 2005, while the average carbon dioxide emissions per passenger at airports decreased by 60.5 percent compared to the 2013-2015 baseline.
Meanwhile, China's domestic civil aircraft industry has made a series of historic breakthroughs, from research and development, design, and manufacturing to airworthiness certification, commercial operation, and overseas expansion.
"The accelerated mass production of new aircraft such as electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) will benefit China in integrating aviation manufacturing and unmanned aerial vehicle development resources. It will facilitate the accelerated integration of aviation manufacturing and emerging technologies. In the future, the full life-cycle costs of aircraft for airlines will continue to decrease," said Wang.
As of the end of September this year, China had registered 2.049 million drones, with over 17,000 drone operating companies holding valid certificates. The application scenarios for drones are expanding rapidly, with emerging consumer trends such as drone delivery logistics, aerial tours, and aviation sports developing rapidly.
Held from Oct 25 to 27, the Second CATA Aviation Conference gathered a variety of exhibitors, including airlines, airports, aircraft equipment manufacturers, airline catering companies and equipment manufacturers, research institutions, and civil aviation colleges, showcasing the achievements of technological innovation and development in the aviation industry.
China's aviation transport sector sees continuous recovery
