Young scientists have great roles to play for a better future of humanity and planet

Article | 15 November 2021
Beijing (ILO News) -- On 13 November 2021, the Global Roundtable for Young Scientist Scholar 2021 was held in Wenzhou, China with the theme of “Embracing Changes, Youth with Missions in Scientific and Technological Innovation”. The Global Roundtable is a core component of World Young Scientist Summit 2021.
Dr. Changhee Lee, ILO Country Office Director for China and Mongolia speaks at Global Roundtable for Young Scientist Scholar 2021
Dr. Changhee Lee, ILO Country Office Director for China and Mongolia was invited to deliver an opening speech for the event. He addressed the critical roles of young scientists not only in scientific findings but also in engaging with other stakeholders for a better future of human beings and the planet in his speech.

“I do hope that China can also lead our collective efforts at national and global level to ensure that science and technology serve human beings, not the other way around, that science and technology are used in an ethical and sustainable manner, and that benefits of science and technology are enjoyed by all citizens, men and women. ” Dr. Lee also called for China’s efforts to ensure science and technology to serve people in an ethical and sustainable way and to benefit all.

Hereafter is the full text of Dr. Changhee Lee’s speech:

I would first like to congratulate all of you on 2021 World Young Scientist Summit in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province. I would particularly like to congratulate on the launch of the Youth π Community, a global community of young scientists.

I am happy to be here in Wenzhou, not just because Wenzhou is a pioneer of market economy with great entrepreneurial spirit, but also because it was in Wenzhou where the renowned philosopher of Qing dynasty, Sun Yirang(孙诒让) founded the first-ever mathematics academy in the history of China, Ruian Mathematics Academy (瑞安学计馆) in 1896.

I am honored to be here today because I am with young scientists who have crucial roles to play in shaping the future of humanity and the future of our planet.

And today’s Summit is taking place at the right time. You must know that the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (known commonly as COP 26) is taking place at this moment, extending its deadline due to serious debate on how to save the planet from rising temperature. The COP 26 would be remembered as one of the most consequential gatherings of world leaders, leading scientists and civil society organizations, to come up with urgent and sustainable solutions to the climate crisis.

Renowned biologist, Victor Sheffer said “Although Nature needs thousands or millions of years to create a new species, man needs only a few dozen years to destroy one”.

It was scientists and engineers in mid 19 century, who retrieved fossil fuels from the earth for massive industrial use, that drove economic development for the last 150 years. Now scientists and engineers are working together with policy makers and citizens to save our planet from the climate crisis triggered by CO2 emission.

As such, scientists have crucial roles to play to save the planet. Of course, it is not just scientists and engineers. It is each and every one’s responsibility – governments, enterprises, citizens - to save the planet for not only the future generation of humankind but also future generations of bees, frogs, sharks and all other species on our endangered planet.

The United Nations, of which ILO is a part, has mandates for four Ps: planet, people, prosperity and peace. That is why the UN hosted COP 26 to save the planet.

Let me turn to people and prosperity. Science and technologies have entered into an unprecedented era through the rapid advance of bio-tech, AI and many other scientific and technological breakthroughs. Before, medical science was – and still is – about curing diseases once they affect people. With genetical science, now there is a possibility of genetical reengineering, which can fundamentally alter the way we live and the way we die. The wide use of big data, AI and robots has enormous potential for well-being of people and prosperity. However, this breakthrough in sciences and technologies poses a wide range of fundamental questions about the future of human beings, and future of our relations with technologies and nature.

What if only rich people can extend their lives and enjoy healthier and longer lives with the help of genetical engineering? What if robots are used in war? Those were purely scientific fiction questions 10 years ago. Now it is quickly becoming a reality, with pressing questions for all men and women on this planet.

Let me focus on impacts of science and technologies on the world of work, as ILO’s mandate is about work and employment. When ILO celebrated its 100 years anniversary in 2019, ILO adopted the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work. While recognizing the great potential of sciences and technologies for a better future of work, the ILO highlights risks it poses for the world of work. What if AI and robots replace people at work faster than people can learn new skills and find new jobs? What if workers’ speed and intensity of work is defined or dictated by computer algorithm, affecting safety and health of workers? Those questions are not questions for future, but questions for daily lives of billions of workers in today’s world.

That is why the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work, which was adopted by representatives of governments, businesses, and workers from 187 countries, calls for a human centered future of work. It emphasizes that development should not be driven by blinded pursuit of profits or blinded faith in market but development should serve people, development should create sufficient good quality jobs.

In particular, it calls for social dialogue among governments, organizations of businesses and workers, and other stakeholders to ensure that benefits of technological innovation, economic growth and global trade are enjoyed among all parties in societies in an equitable and sustainable manner. I believe scientists should be a part of such dialogue, because in the long run your work would have huge implications for future of our work and life.

And today’s World Young Scientists Summit and the newly launched Youth π Community is a good example of such dialogue with other key stakeholders for a better future of humanity, civilization and our planet.

Now China is a leading force in scientific and technological progress. We can be very proud of it. I do hope that China can also lead our collective efforts at national and global level to ensure that science and technology serve human beings, not the other way around, that science and technology are used in an ethical and sustainable manner, and that benefits of science and technology are enjoyed by all citizens, men and women.

Young scientists have great roles to play not only in your scientific findings but also in engaging with other stakeholders for a better future of human beings and the planet. China has many role models in this regard. For example, Dr. TU Youyou, the first female Nobel laureate from China, did a pioneering work on pharmacies, discovering medicines to treat malaria, saving millions of lives in China, Asia, Africa and Latin America. I hope many of you will become such role models for future generation.

Albert Einstein once famously said “Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe”. With a great sense of humour, he is telling us that he is sure about infinite, meaning, unlimited stupidity of human beings, while showing his humble attitude towards our limited knowledge by saying ’I am not sure about the universe’. We need such humble recognition of our limitations, indeed, our stupidity – only when we work together through dialogue and collaboration, we can be guided by our collective wisdom, not by stupidity, we can avoid mistakes of massive scale, and we can contribute to a better future of world.

That is why today’s Summit and Youth π Community matters for our future, as a platform for dialogue to put our collective wisdom together for a better future of humanity and a better future of our planet.

I wish each and every one of you become a successful scientist contributing to not only great scientific discoveries but also the creative and responsible use of such discoveries for our better future. I wish all of you to have a very successful Summit and vigorous activities under the umbrella of Youth π Community.

About World Young Scientist Summit

The World Young Scientist Summit (WYSS) is an annual academic event for the world’s high-level young talents jointly initiated and sponsored by China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) and Zhejiang Provincial People’s Government. The Summit gathers renowned scientists from all over the world including Nobel Prize winners, academicians of Chinese Academy of Sciences and academicians of Chinese Academy of Engineering. It receives positive responses from more than 20 international science and technology organizations. The Summit is themed by “Converging the World's Talents, Creating a Better Future”.

The first two summits were held with a great success in Wenzhou, China in 2019 and 2020, and Chinese President Xi Jinping and UN Secretary-General Guterres sent their congratulatory message to the two summits respectively.