On 29 May, the “Scientists in Schools” public science outreach programme, organised by the Tengchong Scientists Forum Foundation, was successfully held at Nujiang Prefecture Ethnic Middle School and Beqing Experimental School in Guandu District, Kunming. Ji Weizhi, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the European Academy of Sciences, Director of the State Key Laboratory of Non-human Primate Biomedical Research (a joint provincial-ministerial initiative), and Dean of the Institute of Primate Translational Medicine at Kunming University of Science and Technology, Sun Hang, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Member of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World, Fellow of the Chinese Ecological Society, and Member of the Academic Committee of the Tengchong Scientists Forum, visited the schools to engage face-to-face with the students. Through special lectures, interactive exchanges, and personal messages and replies, they treated the students to a feast of cutting-edge science, promoting the spirit of scientific endeavour and igniting the students’ dreams of pursuing science.

Nujiang Session:

Academician Ji Weizhi — ‘Non-human Primates and Human Health’

At Nujiang Prefecture Ethnic Middle School, this event was closely integrated with the launch ceremony for the 2026 Nujiang Prefecture Science and Technology Activities Week and Science and Technology Workers’ Day. Di Hui, Deputy Governor of the Nujiang Prefecture People’s Government, and Li Jiaqiang, Secretary-General of the Tengchong Scientists Forum Foundation, attended the event and delivered speeches.

Under the theme ‘Non-human Primates and Human Health’, Academician Ji Weizhi delivered an engaging and accessible science lecture to the students of Nujiang Prefecture Ethnic Middle School, explaining cutting-edge life science knowledge in plain language. During the interactive session, students enthusiastically posed questions, to which the Academician patiently provided answers and clarifications, whilst encouraging students in this frontier region to scale the heights of scientific achievement. The atmosphere was vibrant and lively.

At the event, Academician Ji Weizhi responded to the students’ curiosity with his professional expertise and offered a heart-warming message to the young people from the frontier regions: “Take root in your homeland, yet dream of distant horizons; use your pen as wings to soar beyond the mountains and fields.”

Kunming Session:

Academician Sun Hang — ‘The Survival Secrets of Plants in Extreme Cold Regions’

At Beqing Experimental School in Guandu District, Kunming, numerous distinguished guests attended the event to witness the wonderful convergence of science and youth. Gu Wei, Chairman of the Tengchong Scientists Forum Foundation, attended the event and delivered an address.

Academician Sun Hang stepped into the vibrant campus, touring the school’s innovation and practice spaces and viewing the students’ project-based learning work. Centring on the theme ‘The Survival Secrets of Plants in Extremely Cold Regions’, he delivered an accessible yet insightful explanation of the survival wisdom of alpine plants and the vital importance of biodiversity, allowing teachers and pupils to immerse themselves in the wondrous charm of the plant world.

During the interactive session, raised hands sprouted like spring bamboo shoots emerging from the earth after rain, brimming with upward energy. The students eagerly posed questions, voicing their curiosity about the plant world and their queries regarding scientific exploration. Academician Sun Hang patiently and meticulously answered each one, responding to the young students’ expectations with his professional knowledge. The atmosphere was both lively and warm.

A Message from the Academician:

Heartfelt words nourish the soul; the torch of science illuminates the youth

In the run-up to the event, Nujiang Prefecture Ethnic Middle School organised a letter-writing campaign titled ‘Echoes of the Gorge: A Letter to the Academician’. The young students put their scientific dreams and questions into writing; these letters travelled through the winds of the gorge to reach Academician Ji Weizhi’s desk. Academician Ji Weizhi read the students’ letters carefully and wrote replies in advance, delivering them personally to the students to respond to their heartfelt voices.

At Beqing Experimental School, pupils enthusiastically submitted entries to the “My Scientific Dream” essay competition, their words brimming with curiosity about the scientific world and reverence for their scientific predecessors. After reviewing the outstanding entries, Academician Sun Hang offered heartfelt words of encouragement to the entire school community, urging the pupils to always maintain their curiosity about nature and their passion for science, to boldly explore the unknown and dare to pursue their dreams, and to use science as their wings as they courageously forge ahead on their journey of growth.

Donation Ceremony:

Empowering through Philanthropy, Spreading Warmth through Donations

Philanthropy spreads warmth; science popularisation fosters growth. To support the development of science education in schools, a charity donation ceremony was held on site. The Tengchong Scientists Forum Foundation, in partnership with Runze Intelligent Computing Technology Group Co., Ltd., donated AI chess-playing robots to Nujiang Prefecture Ethnic Middle School and Beqing Experimental School, taking concrete action to empower young people’s journey of scientific exploration.

More Than Just an Event:

Let the Glimmer of Science Illuminate Distant Places

From the echoes of the Nujiang Gorges to the lush greenery of Kunming, these two events mark merely the beginning of the Tengchong Scientists Forum Foundation’s 2026 ‘Scientists in Schools’ public welfare initiative.

In the future, the “Scientists in Schools” project will leverage the unique platform advantages of the Tengchong Scientists Forum to invite academicians and experts from various fields to visit schools and engage with young people. Integrating these efforts with the Forum’s year-round activities, the initiative will regularly and periodically organise science popularisation events that are engaging, insightful and enjoyable.

In addition to creating immersive, in-person science education classes, the Foundation will collaborate with ClassIn to explore the development of high-quality online science education course packages. This will establish long-term science education resources, breaking down geographical barriers to ensure every young person has the opportunity to learn from leading experts. This initiative will provide sustained support for nurturing the next generation of scientific and technological innovators and promoting the high-quality development of science education.