The 2026 International Congress of Basic Science is underway in Beijing from Aug. 9 to 21. The event introduces the nine outstanding researchers who are the 2026 recipients of the ICBS Medal, and features Fields Medalists and Turing Award winners. It also highlights China's strategic focus on fundamental research and technological self-reliance. CGTN's Liu Jiaxin is on the scene with the latest updates from the congress.

First awarded in 2026, the ICBS Medal recognizes revolutionary advances in basic science, featuring a scientific giant's portrait on one side, and the motto "For Truth and Beauty" on the other. It's emblematic of the unending quest for ultimate truth and aesthetic perfection in understanding the universe.

The nine 2026 medalists are French algebraic geometer Claire Voisin, probability theorist Horng-Tzer Yau, mathematician Shou-Wu Zhang, particle physicist Yifang Wang, condensed-matter physicist Xiao-Gang Wen, complex systems physicist Andrea J. Liu, flexible-electronics pioneer Zhenan Bao, super-resolution imaging scientist Xiaowei Zhuang, and CRISPR co-discoverer Feng Zhang.

The medals are named after nine pioneers – Emmy Noether, S.S. Chern, Andrew Wiles, Marie Curie, Samuel Ting, David Gross, Chien-Shiung Wu, Steven Chu and Charles Kao – and are divided across mathematics, physics and engineering. 

Over the course of two weeks, nearly 1000 scientists, young researchers and students from around the world are expected to engage in discussions, foster collaboration, and shape the future of basic science.