Shanghai to host ICCM meeting every three years

The International Congress of Chinese Mathematicians, the largest and most influential top academic event in the international community of Chinese mathematics, announced that Shanghai will be the permanent venue to hold its meeting every three years.

This will help attract mathematicians from all over the world to gather, cultivate young scientists, and contribute to scientific and technological innovation in Shanghai and China.

The announcement was made at a conference of ICCM at Fudan University in Shanghai on Friday, marking that Shanghai further strengthens its influence and cohesion in the global mathematical community.

Initiated by Shing-Tung Yau, the first Chinese-born laureate of the Fields Medal, in 1998, ICCM carries a mission to strengthen connections among Chinese mathematicians worldwide, discuss the latest advancements in mathematical sciences, and promote the development of mathematics in China and globally.

"The focus of talent cultivation in mathematics will be in China. We hope that more top mathematicians, while tackling important problems, can develop new directions and lead a new industrial revolution," said Yau.

"We also hope that we'll be able to cultivate a batch of world-leading Chinese mathematicians by the time when the International Congress of Mathematicians is held in 2030, and ensure a prominent presence for Chinese mathematicians at the conference," he said.

Mathematics is the foundation of technologies related with biomedicine, artificial intelligence and integrated circuit, and ICCM's permanent settlement in Shanghai will promote the introduction of a large number of first-class scholars, both from China and abroad, and stimulate the development of academics locally, which will naturally promote the developments of such technology industries and help to break the monopoly of some technologies by foreign countries, said Yau.

"To do mathematical research with Chinese characteristics, it is necessary to promote the common development of basic mathematics and applied mathematics, which is an important direction," he said.

The previous editions of ICCM took place in cities, including Beijing, Taipei, Hong Kong, Hangzhou and Nanjing, and the latest edition in 2022 attracted more than 1,000 mathematicians from around the world.

Liu Duo, vice-mayor of Shanghai, said, "Shanghai will continue to increase its efforts to fully support research in the mathematics field, and will strive to build an important center for mathematics research, solidly promote the construction of a pilot zone for basic research, and encourage mathematicians to aim at advanced, high-value major scientific problems."

Gerhard Huisken, a member of the German National Academy of Sciences, said, "I think it is good to have long-term continuity in activities in mathematics and have a fixed headquarters in Shanghai, which serves communication between mathematicians in China and worldwide."

Huisken was among the foreign experts participating in the ICCM meeting on Friday. Themed "New Frontiers: mathematics for transforming science and humanity", the meeting hosted by the Shanghai Institute for Mathematics and Interdisciplinary Sciences and Fudan University convened more than 400 Chinese and expat mathematicians.