Beijing Women's Federation

On September 5, the “Leading with Excellence and Wisdom, Racing Ahead at the Frontier” Women in Science and Technology Youth Academic Exchange and Launch of the 2026 Women in Science and Technology Leadership Program was successfully held in Beijing. The event was hosted by the Beijing Women’s Federation and organized by the Beijing Female Professor Association, with support from the Women’s Associations of Tianjin, Hebei Province, Shanghai, and Guangdong Province. Zhou Zhijun, Secretary of the Leading Party Members Group and President of the Beijing Women’s Federation, and Zhang Yongying, Deputy Director and Researcher at the Women’s Studies Institute of the All-China Women’s Federation, attended the event and delivered remarks. Shi Huimin, Member of the Leading Party Members Group and Vice President of the Hebei Women’s Federation, and Tang Na, Member of the Leading Party Members Group and Vice President of the Tianjin Association for Science and Technology, were also in attendance. Women leaders in science and technology, experts and scholars, and young research professionals from universities and research institutes across the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area gathered to discuss women’s innovation in science and technology, promote cross-regional collaboration, and witness the launch of the 2026 Women in Science and Technology Leadership Program.

Zhou Zhijun noted that the recent release of the Beijing Women and Children’s Development Plan for the 15th Five-Year Plan Period marks a new stage in the development of women’s and children’s affairs in the capital, providing a solid foundation for cultivating and expanding the pool of female scientific and technological talent. The Beijing Women’s Federation has continued to improve its talent empowerment ecosystem. By relying on the Beijing Female Professor Association to deepen the Women in Science and Technology Leadership Program, the Federation has achieved remarkable results in talent development and demonstrated a strong radiating impact. Moving forward, the Federation will continue to leverage Beijing’s strengths and deepen cross-regional collaboration. It will leverage a mentorship mechanism, where senior female scientists guide and support emerging talent, to empower the growth of young scientific and technological professionals and achieve mutual progress. She expressed hope that the Beijing Female Professor Association would continue to build a supportive community for women professors, encouraged women in science and technology to nurture the next generation, and called on young female researchers to take on greater responsibilities and demonstrate their talent on the new journey of serving the country through science and technology.

Zhang Yongying noted that since the beginning of the new era, women in science and technology have strived in cutting-edge fields such as aerospace and intelligent manufacturing. Accounting for 45.8% of the workforce in these areas, they have become an indispensable force in building China into a country with strength in science and technology. The All-China Women’s Federation has always attached importance to supporting the growth and development of female scientific and technological talent, continuously promoting policy support and launching the “Women’s Action for Scientific and Technological Innovation.” She said that, as a group member of the All-China Women’s Federation, the Beijing Female Professor Association boasts distinct advantages. Moving forward, the Women’s Studies Institute will deepen cooperation with the Association, focusing on joint research on emerging issues such as the development of female scientific and technological talent, women’s participation in rural revitalization, and green development, leveraging high-quality research results to support the progress of women’s cause.

He Haiyan, President of the Beijing Female Professor Association, chaired the opening session, while Vice Presidents Wang Xiaohong, Wu Yixian and Li Pingxue presided over the subsequent sessions.

The keynote sessions were divided into three sections, bringing together leading scholars from China and abroad to share their latest research and insights across diverse fields of science and technology.

In the “Exploring Innovation and Change” section, Xiong Yu, Fellow of the British Academy of Social Sciences and Professor at the University of Surrey (UK), delivered a keynote presentation titled “From Papers to Real-Time Research: Reshaping Research Paradigms in the Age of AI.” Drawing on both foundational theories and real-world industrial applications, she explored ways to bridge the gap between academic research and practical application and unlock the value of research at an earlier stage.

 

In the “Enabling Human-Centered Intelligent Manufacturing” section, Song Jie, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics at Peking University, delivered a keynote presentation titled “From One Token to One Kilowatt-Hour: The Green Computing Foundation for Artificial Intelligence.” Grounded in China’s national energy strategy, she elaborated on the practical realities behind the massive computing power required to support artificial intelligence.

In the “Pursuing Knowledge and Exploring New Frontiers” section, Liu Run, Director of the Geotechnical Institute at Tianjin University, delivered a keynote presentation titled “My Lifelong Connection with Soil.” Drawing on her personal research experience and her team’s work, she shared insights into fundamental research in geotechnical engineering and the energy sector.

The event also marked the official launch of the 2026 Women in Science and Technology Leadership Program, with the roster of 35 new national-level talent mentors and 35 members of the Women Doctoral Pioneers Team announced. Now in its fifth edition, the program provides comprehensive support and mentorship from senior scientists to help young female professionals deepen their expertise and achieve all-round development. This year, the program broke through regional boundaries for the first time by integrating university resources from three major international science and technology innovation hubs—the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area—to establish a new model of cross-regional and interdisciplinary talent development.

During the roundtable discussion, five national-level professionals—Tang Na, Professor at the College of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science of Tianjin University of Science and Technology; Chen Yuli, Director of the Department of Aircraft Structure and Strength at Beihang University; Gao Guoying, Professor at the State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology at Yanshan University; Chen Cailian, Distinguished Professor at the School of Automation and Intelligent Sensing at Shanghai Jiao Tong University; and Lu Yutong, Professor at the School of Computer Science and Engineering at Sun Yat-sen University—participated as representatives of the program’s mentors. They held in-depth discussions on topics including inheriting the scientific spirit, talent development, academic mentorship, and cross-regional collaboration, sharing their experiences in nurturing young talent and exploring pathways for future development.

In the Youth Researchers’ Dialogue, representatives of the Women Doctoral Pioneers Team from Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanghai and Guangdong shared their personal experiences and reflections on research challenges, academic development and personal dilemmas. Their stories highlighted the vitality and commitment of young female professionals in science and technology in the new era as they pursue their aspirations of contributing to the country.