The 2026 International Conference on Basic Science (ICBS 2026) will be held in Huairou Science City, Beijing from August 9th to 21st this year. This top international academic event in the field of basic science, with the theme of "Focusing on Basic Science, Leading the Future of Humanity", gathers the world's leading forces in basic science, builds a high-level academic exchange platform, shares cutting-edge scientific knowledge with the public, and once again writes a scientific summer of intellectual confrontation and brainstorming.
图1：2025国际基础科学大会现场
Up to now, nearly 20 of the world's top scientists have confirmed their attendance and will deliver keynote speeches at the conference, including Nobel laureates, Fields Medalists, Turing Award winners, Wolf Prize winners, MacArthur Award winners, as well as members of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States, the Royal Society of the United Kingdom, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It is expected that nearly a thousand experts, scholars and students from academic organizations, universities and research institutions at home and abroad will participate in this grand event. The conference focuses on the cutting-edge issues in basic sciences such as mathematics, physics and engineering, aiming to promote the coordinated development of all fields and facilitate the integration and connection between theoretical research and applied technological innovation. This year's conference will award the "ICBS Medal" for the first time to honor scientists worldwide who have achieved revolutionary and breakthrough results in the field of basic science and to recognize their outstanding contributions to scientific progress. The awards cover three major fields: mathematics, physics and engineering, and are named after nine scientific giants respectively. In the field of mathematics, there are the Emmy Noether, Shiing-Shen Chern and Andrew Wiles Mathematics MEDALS. In the field of physics, there are the Ding Zhaozhong, David Gross and Marie Curie Physics MEDALS. In the field of engineering, the Steven Chu, Charles Kao and Andrew Ng Engineering MEDALS have been established, and their names have all received support from the scientists and their relatives. It is worth noting that an award named after a renowned female scientist has been set up in each field. Yau Shing-tung, the chairperson of the conference, introduced, "Naming the Basic Science Medal after a renowned female scientist reflects the respect of the scientific community for the outstanding contributions made by female researchers to promoting scientific development." It is expected that at least one female scientist in each field will be honored. In addition, the conference will present the Frontier Science Award, focusing on 40 branches in the three major fields of basic science. It is expected to select over 120 original and outstanding papers, recognizing high-level original achievements published in international leading academic journals over the past five to ten years. Meanwhile, to support the growth of young scientific research talents, 10 outstanding undergraduate papers will be selected in the field of mathematics. The winning students will give reports during the conference and have face-to-face exchanges with top scientists. The conference will last for 13 days and is expected to host over 20 basic science reports and more than 400 reports by the winners of the Frontier Science Awards. At the same time, a poster exhibition of the academic achievements of the winners of the Frontier Science Awards will be set up, covering the frontiers of all branches and interdisciplinary fields of basic science, comprehensively showcasing the recent academic achievements with significant influence worldwide. A series of distinctive activities will also be held simultaneously: Three high-end academic salons, namely "Mathematics Night", "Physics Night" and "Engineering Night", will invite Nobel Prize-level scientists to share their research experiences and academic insights. A series of high-end cross-border forums will bring together renowned entrepreneurs and top scholars to engage in in-depth dialogues on the integration of basic science and industry, facilitating the transformation of scientific research achievements. During the special event of "Tsinghua Day", many top scientists from both China and abroad will visit Tsinghua University to share their scientific research insights and convey the power of science with young students. The "Face-To-Face with Scientists" special event for teenagers will invite outstanding high school students, undergraduates and postgraduates from across the country to discuss cutting-edge scientific issues with top scientists and ignite their scientific dreams. The opening ceremony, award ceremony and welcome dinner of the conference will be held at the Beijing Yanqi Lake International Convention and Exhibition Center, while the main activities such as academic reports will take place at the Beijing Yanqi Lake Institute of Applied Mathematics. At present, all the preparatory work for the conference is being advanced in an orderly manner.
图2：北京雁栖湖应用数学研究院
图3：北京雁栖湖国际会展中心
The International Conference on Basic Science was initiated and established by Academician Shing-Tung Yau in 2023 and has been successfully held for three sessions. The conference adheres to the concepts of openness, inclusiveness, cooperation and win-win results. Through high-level international dialogue, it aims to help Beijing build a globally influential highland for scientific and technological innovation, and contribute Chinese wisdom to promoting global scientific and technological progress and building a community with a shared future for mankind.
*This article is reprinted from the Yau Mathematical Sciences Center of Tsinghua University