From Tengchong, China, to Bangkok, Thailand: Tengchong Scientists Forum Opens Its First Overseas Special Event

Speech by Academician Xu Zhihong, Co-Chairman of the Tengchong Scientist Forum

Speech by Academician Bai Chunli, Chairman of the Conference

Inspector General of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation of Thailand

Pannapa Kanchana delivered a speech

Speech by Wu Zhiwu, Chargé d'Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand

Speech by Chen Fengwei, Party Secretary of the Shanghai Advanced Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

Speech by Piamit Sritara, President of Mahidol University

At the opening ceremony, Xu Zhihong, Co-Chairman of the Tengchong Scientists Forum, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and former President of Peking University; Bai Chunli, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, former President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and member of the Tengchong Scientist Forum Advisory Committee; Pannapa Kanchana, Inspector General of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation of Thailand; Wu Zhiwu, Chargé d'Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Thailand; Chen Fengwei, Party Secretary of the Shanghai Institute for Advanced Study, Chinese Academy of Sciences; and Piyamit Sritala, President of Mahidol University, delivered speeches in succession. The speakers highly affirmed the significance of this event and eagerly looked forward to using it as an opportunity and opening to further promote scientific and technological exchange and cooperation between China and Thailand, facilitate the implementation of achievements serving people's well-being, and extend influence to ASEAN and the broader region.

Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation

Yochanan Onshava delivered a keynote speech

Cheng Jing, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Chair Professor at Tsinghua University, delivered a keynote speech

Xia Lixue, co-founder and CEO of Wuwen Xinqiong, delivered a keynote speech

Yuchanam Onsawa, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation; Cheng Jing, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Chair Professor at Tsinghua University; and Xia Lixue, Co-founder and CEO of Shanghai Wuwen Xinqiong Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd., shared cutting-edge insights and practical experiences in the intersection of AI and life sciences from multiple perspectives, including national strategy, technological innovation, and computing infrastructure.

At the opening ceremony, witnessed jointly by Mr. Yucha Nan Onshawar and Academician Bai Chunli, Kunming Medical University and Mahidol University held a signing ceremony for the joint establishment of the "KMU Medical University in Collaboration with MU." This Sino-foreign cooperative educational institution will focus on collaborative programs in nursing, public health, and physical therapy, while also promoting research collaboration, faculty training, academic exchange, and collaboration in the medical and health fields. Watson Biotech, together with Yunnan Aisheng Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Yunnan University, Oriental University of Thailand, and JSP Pharmaceutical (Thailand) Public Co., Ltd., signed an international joint laboratory cooperation memorandum. The laboratory responds to the national "Belt and Road" initiative, aligns with Yunnan Province's deployment to build a hub for South Asia and Southeast Asia, and focuses on joint development in biomedicine and biomanufacturing. It will integrate research and industrial resources from Chinese and Thai universities and leading enterprises, relying on cross-border industry-academia-research collaboration to build a specialized and international innovation platform. Promote global multi-regional collaborative innovation and industrial layout, supporting high-quality coordinated development of life and health industries in China and South Asia and Southeast Asia.

The grand finale of the morning, "Frontier Perspectives & Leaders Dialogue," was chaired by Academician Gao Fu, with the theme "Building Consensus Through Science: Creating the Future Through Collaboration." Yongyuth Yuthavong, Academician of the World Academy of Sciences and Honorary Professor at the Faculty of Science, Mahidol University; David John Ruffolo, Academician of the World Academy of Sciences and Professor of Physics at the Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Thailand; Cheong Wei Yang, Deputy Provost (Strategic Research Collaboration) at Singapore Management University, Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Health Singapore; and Ahmed Fahmi, Director of the Scientific Division at UNESCO Bangkok Asia-Pacific Regional Office, Tang Ming, General Manager of the International Business Division of Yunnan Baiyao Group Co., Ltd., and Zhang Qiang, Chairman of Shanghai United Imaging Medical Technology Co., Ltd., were among the Chinese and foreign guests who shared the opportunity on stage for exchanges. The dialogue focused on core topics such as "How can scientific cooperation maintain openness and mutual trust amid global changes?", "How AI and life sciences can reshape global research cooperation models", and "How China-Thailand and ASEAN can build long-term and stable scientific and technological cooperation networks." Guests approached from multiple perspectives including industrial internationalization, medical technology implementation, basic research networks, university innovation hubs, and international multilateral cooperation, proposing to use science as a bridge to bridge differences, build consensus, promote open sharing and collaborative innovation of cutting-edge technologies, and strengthen regional innovation networks , jointly addressing global challenges.

On the afternoon of the same day, two parallel roundtable discussions were held simultaneously, focusing on sub-fields to deepen pragmatic discussions.

The first roundtable discussion focused on "Frontiers of AI and Life Sciences Cooperation," where guests engaged in in-depth discussions on core issues such as the accessibility and affordability of AI medical tools in Southeast Asia, bottlenecks and breakthroughs in cross-border scientific research, and regional practices in precision medicine, exploring pathways for AI technology to be implemented in healthcare and new models of cross-border cooperation.

The second roundtable focused on "AI Empowering Drug R&D and Traditional Medicine Modernization," where guests deeply explored the boundaries of AI application in natural product screening and drug target discovery, the mutual learning paths for evidence-based development of traditional medicine in China and Thailand, and opportunities for cross-border transformation and market alignment in the pharmaceutical industry, offering suggestions for the modernization upgrade of traditional medicine and the coordinated development of biopharmaceutical innovation.

During the event, a launch event for Yunnan Baiyao's "New Oral Scale" Thai toothpaste was held, fully showcasing the entire innovative practice chain from ingredient research and efficacy verification to product development. It promotes Chinese scientific research achievements serving the daily health needs of Thai consumers and serves as a vivid example of the industrialization of technological achievements.

In addition to the main forum agenda, special activities also organized a series of practical activities such as enterprise visits, academician campus science popularization, and innovation project roadshows. Guests visited Thailand's top institutions and enterprises for on-site exchanges, promoting deeper and more practical research connections and achievement transformation.

The Tengchong Scientists Forum was initiated by Academicians Gu Binglin, Xu Zhihong, and Rao Zihe, with the mission of "Science and Technology Leading the Future," dedicated to building four major platform functions: advanced academic exchange of ideas, interaction among government, industry, academia, and research, transformation of scientific and technological achievements, and scientific cooperation between China and South Asian and Southeast Asian countries. Since its inaugural event in 2022, the forum has been held multiple times and has been included in the action plan list of the Global Dialogue of Civilizations Ministerial Meeting, becoming one of the most influential scientific forums in China.

This Bangkok special event aims to build a key hub for China-ASEAN scientific and technological cooperation, promoting mutual visits among scientists, enterprise matchmaking, and achievement transformation. The successful hosting of the event marks a further enhancement of the international influence of the Tengchong Scientists Forum and the accelerating pace of internationalization. In the future, the forum will continue to uphold the principles of openness, inclusiveness, and mutual trust in cooperation, constantly expanding its overseas cooperation network; Using this event as a model model, it will gradually expand to more overseas regions, forming a normalized, multi-regional international science and technology dialogue and cooperation mechanism, and contributing Chinese wisdom and strength to the deep integration of global technological and industrial innovation.