Four scientists receive the Young Scientist SDGs Award. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Young scientists are encouraged to pursue global sustainable development with bravery and curiosity, scientists and officials said at the plenary session of the 2025 World Young Scientist Summit in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, on Saturday.

Bringing together nearly 800 participants from 47 countries and regions, the event announced the 3rd Young Scientist Sustainable Development Goals Award.

Jointly initiated by the World Association of Young Scientists, Wenzhou Growth Foundation for World Young Scientists, and Global SDGs and Leadership Development Center, the award honors young scientists contributing to the UN SDGs.

Four winners stood out in compound semiconductor materials, molecular and cell biology, organic and perovskite photovoltaics, and photonic quantum computing.

Italian awardee Mariangela Russo from the University of Turin, who first uncovered the "stress response mechanism" of tumor cells in targeted therapy, emphasized that the summit shed light on younger scientists who rarely take the podium at major meetings.

Chinese winner Liu Yingjun, co-founder of Porotech, who invented wafer-level porosification technology, said, "Wenzhou provided a platform for global young scientists to showcase achievements, exchange freely, and work together toward the SDGs."

He added that young scientists' biggest strength is being undefined, with infinite possibilities to drive innovation.

"They are fresh and more flexible," said German awardee Wolfgang Tress, professor at Zurich University of Applied Sciences, leading photovoltaic research. "They also bring more passion and motivation to research."

Chinese awardee Wang Hui from the University of Science and Technology of China praised the summit for enabling cross-field communication. "It is most needed in scientific research. Because many barriers come from ignorance of other fields. Interdisciplinary research brings more scientific possibilities."

He added, "We are young, so we have chances to take riskier projects for more results, solve unsolved problems, or develop new directions."

The event also launched the World Young Scientist Entrepreneurship and Growth Support Program, encouraging young scientists to step outside their comfort zone and collaborate across fields.

Mariangela Russo advised young scientists to be brave and curious. "To be brave enough to question yourself and the way you think. In this way, we can look at scientific questions and challenges from a different perspective. This will bring us a step closer to new discoveries."

Donald Bruce Dingwell, dean of Academia Europaea, concluded at the plenary, "The future of science is bright. The future of science is in your (young scientists') hands."

The plenary session of the 2025 World Young Scientist Summit is held in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, on Oct 25. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]