On July 12, the opening ceremony of the fourth World Academicians' Forum on Advanced Science and Technology was held at the Suzhou Campus of Nanjing University. This forum, co-hosted by NJU and the Association of British Chinese Professors (ABCP), was themed "Advanced Manufacturing and Biomedical Engineering: AI Empowering Future Industries and Health." Attendees and speakers included: TAN Tieniu, Chair of NJU CPC Council and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); FAN Bo, Member of the Standing Committee the CPC Jiangsu Provincial Committee and Secretary of the Suzhou Municipal Party Committee; DONG Hongbiao, Chairman of the ABCP and Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. ZHAO Yan, Vice Governor of Jiangsu, delivered a video address.

In his speech, TAN Tieniu emphasized that this year marks the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan and a pivotal period for building China into a strong nation in science and technology. He highlighted NJU's focus on three critical areas: "original innovation, interdisciplinary integration, and industrial empowerment." NJU aims to strengthen basic research and original innovation, promote interdisciplinary development and paradigm shifts, foster collaboration between academia, industry, and research institutes, enhance technology transfer, and expand international cooperation networks. TAN expressed hope for joint efforts to transform the "key variable" of technological innovation into the "largest increment" for high-quality development and contribute significantly to achieving high-level technological self-reliance.

FAN Bo remarked that Suzhou is currently implementing President Xi Jinping's key instructions regarding work in Jiangsu and Suzhou, placing great emphasis on becoming a critical hub of the Shanghai (Yangtze River Delta) International Technology Innovation Center. The city is working to systematically enhance its capabilities in technological innovation, leading advanced industries, and attracting top talent, with the ultimate goal of deeply integrating technological and industrial innovation to become a globally competitive "City of Intelligent Manufacturing." FAN expressed the hope that NJU would leverage its "New Engineering" strengths at the Suzhou Campus, deepen collaborative innovation between academia and industry, establish more innovation platforms, and attract outstanding talent.

DONG Hongbiao noted that this forum brought together the world's top minds to explore how artificial intelligence can empower future industries and life sciences, embodying the spirit of open exchanges, knowledge sharing, and international cooperation. He hoped the forum would continue to spark intellectual dialogue, advance frontier scientific research, and produce increased innovative outcomes.

A ceremony to appoint Distinguished Visiting Professors and Visiting Professors at Nanjing University was held. TAN Tieniu presented certificates and university badges to Distinguished Visiting Professors SU Baolian, Academician of the Royal Academies for Science and the Arts of Belgium; Martin Blunt, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, UK; WU Xinhua, Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering; and Mike Clinch, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, UK; as well as Guest Professors SONG Wenwen, PENG Ling, and DONG Mingdong.

The ceremony was hosted by SU Wenbin, Member of the Standing Committee of CPC NJU Committee and Vice President of NJU. In the keynote speech session, in-depth discussions were held on topics such as multi-modal tactile actuators, advanced semiconductor glass innovation in the era of AI-driven transformations, porous media flow problems in energy transitions, acoustic metamaterials, and the transformation of diagnostic decision-making advancements. The forum featured themed sub-forums on advanced manufacturing, biomedical engineering, and AI with complex ecology. Scholars and experts exchanged and discussed the latest achievements and trends in scientific research related to the topics. (NANJING UNIVERSITY)