Bill Gates, the former chairman of Microsoft Corporation and the founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, visited Beijing University on Friday and delivered a speech in the university, where he stressed the important role of the younger generation in the future development of China and the world.

The speech was under the theme, "Looking to the Future: Innovation, Philanthropy and Global Leadership." Gates indicated that China is taking an irreplaceable part in globalization. Most importantly, Gates pointed out four industries with big potential, including healthcare, agriculture, energy, and technology. 

For the development of the medical industry, Gates highlighted Tu Youyou, who was the first Chinese pharmaceutical chemist to be awarded with the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology. 

Gates admired Tu’s achievement in discovering artemisinin and dihydroartemisinin that can be used to treat malaria, which has helped millions of people living in Africa and South America. That is why Gates selected Beijing in building a global medicine research center, so as to tackle global health challenges. 

As an alumni of Beijing University, Tu also wrote a letter to Gates for his visit. She first thanked him for the support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and introduced the latest research progress she made in malaria controlling. 

After the speech, Gates received a table tennis paddle from university students and was invited to play a game of table tennis.