Welcome to the December 2025 issue of the newsletter of the Hong Kong Laureate Forum!
Hong Kong Laureate Forum 2025 (Forum 2025) was successfully held in early November, featuring an inspiring and dynamic programme dedicated to fostering cross-generational, cross-cultural, and cross-disciplinary dialogue among the world's brightest scientific minds.
Themed "Meeting of Inspirational Minds", this year's Forum attracted over 3,800 in-person and online participants, including 12 esteemed Shaw Laureates, 210 outstanding young scientists from over 20 countries and regions, alongside distinguished guests from diverse sectors and institutions, local scientists, Forum ambassadors, close to 900 secondary students from 24 schools, and members of the public.
Laureates Ignite Inspiration: A Cross-Generational Knowledge Exchange
12 esteemed Shaw Laureates, honoured in the fields of Astronomy, Life Science and Medicine, and Mathematical Sciences, generously shared their insights, engaged in meaningful dialogues with young scientists, and took time to understand the challenges faced by the next generation. Their participation and genuine exchange proved immensely valuable and inspiring to all involved. Many Laureates described the Forum as both rewarding and fulfilling.
A Dynamic Programme for the Next Generation of Scientists
The four-day Forum offered a rich and diverse programme tailored to inspire and connect young scientists through keynote speeches, panel discussions, flash presentations, poster presentations, and more. Most young scientists found Forum 2025 highly invaluable for networking, cross-disciplinary exchange, and learning from Laureates and guests:
"Meeting professionals across different fields of research, learning from their experiences abroad, and gaining knowledge from various disciplines was invaluable."
"The experiences shared by the Laureates and speakers were irreplaceable, inspiring me to aim higher in my own research journey."
"The Forum expanded my horizons, strengthened my motivation, and connected me with inspiring thinkers."
Science to Inspire All
Public engagement was a key pillar of the Forum. The "Public Forum – The Power of Science" at the Hong Kong Science Museum and the "School Dialogues: Inspiring the Young Future" at three local partner schools featured thought-provoking sessions with Shaw Laureates. These direct interactions made science more accessible to the wider community, planting the seeds of curiosity.
Forum 2025 stood as a testament to the value of international collaboration, scientific curiosity, and the nurturing of future talent. Through its curated programme and enthusiastic participants, the Forum fostered meaningful dialogue across generations, disciplines, and cultures. None of this would have been possible without the steadfast support from across society. We would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to the Lee Shau Kee Foundation, our Principal Sponsor; The Shaw Prize Foundation, our Major Partner; and all our partners and collaborators.
You are invited to relive the Forum's highlights through the Highlight Video, Photo Gallery, and Live Streaming Archive available on our official website.
Exploring New Horizons 2026
From January to March 2026, we will bring back our hallmark event "Exploring New Horizons" to open the world of science to secondary school students in Hong Kong. Through lab visits and sharing sessions, students will engage directly with scientists and researchers to gain first-hand experience in scientific exploration. Interested schools can find futher information here and submit an online enrollment form before 12:00 noon on 8 January 2026 (Thursday).
As we approach the close of a remarkable year, we are deeply grateful to all our partners, participants, and supporters for their engagement and contributions. We look forward to continuing this momentum together in the year ahead and wish everyone a prosperous and inspiring 2026!
