PostTime：6/22/2026
Recently, the Singularity Science Conference (Nan'ao Island) was successfully held. Organized by the Secretariat of the Nan'ao Science Conference (Guangdong Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, GTIIT), under the guidance of the Organization and Personnel Department of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), Guangdong Science and Technology Department, and the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation, the event marked a comprehensive upgrade of the 34th Nan'ao Science Conference.
Themed "Future-Oriented AI Foundational Logic and Cross-Disciplinary Empowerment", the conference brought together outstanding young scholars from cutting-edge fundamental research fields to engage in cross-disciplinary discussions. Through intensive exploration, the participants distilled and proposed eight frontier scientific questions at the intersection of AI and mathematics.
The conference was co-chaired by Executive Chairpersons Prof. Xia Zhihong from Great Bay University, Prof. Yao Zheng'an from Sun Yat-sen University, and Prof. Yao Yuan from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, with Prof. Zhang Hongkun from Great Bay University serving as the convener. Distinguished mathematician Prof. Zhang Yitang from Sun Yat-sen University Institute of Advanced Studies, HONG KONG, acted as the head of the observer delegation and delivered a keynote report titled "Analytic Number Theory and Artificial Intelligence". Experts and outstanding young scholars from renowned universities and research institutions across China, including Tsinghua University, Fudan University, etc., convened in Nan'ao. Investment managers from four Guangdong-based venture capital institutions also participated as part of the "observer delegation".
The conference departed from traditional one-way lecturing and innovatively adopted a progressive, closed-loop discussion structure: posing questions – roundtable discussions – distilling problems – summary and evaluation. In addition, special sessions such as "Icebreaker Exchanges" and "Nan'ao Night Talks" were arranged to stimulate scientific inspiration in a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.
Focusing on three core themes: "Mathematical Underpinnings and Next-Generation AI Algorithms", "Optimization Algorithms, Optimal Transport, and Data Intelligence", and "AI Capability Boundaries, Interpretability, and Multimodal Frontiers", the conference, after two days and three nights of intensive intellectual exchange, distilled eight frontier scientific questions. These cover areas such as architectural symmetry, formalized mathematics, intelligent emergence, AI virtual cells, low-resource continual learning, mathematical theories of deep architectures, multi-center heterogeneous collaborative reasoning, and non-contact affective computing. The results were publicly released as the "Nan'ao Scientific Questions: AI Foundational Logic and Cross-Disciplinary Empowerment". Based in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the conference extends an open invitation to the global research community to jointly address these questions.
The Singularity Science Conference is a high-level academic exchange platform for young scholars, innovatively established by CAST to cultivate innovative talents. The Nan'ao Science Conference is a high-profile academic exchange brand that brings together top scientists and young scholars from home and abroad for in-depth discussions. The Singularity Science Conference (Nan'ao Island) represents a deep integration of the two, aiming to organize outstanding young scientists around the age of 35 to engage in "brainstorming" through flexible and diverse formats, striving to generate novel ideas, and to distill relevant international frontier scientific questions.
This event helped established a mechanism for releasing "Nan'ao Scientific Questions", further enhancing the academic leadership and brand influence of the Nan'ao Science Conference. At the same time, it provided solid intellectual support for the high-quality development of science and technology and basic research in Guangdong Province, offering a precise guide for the forward-looking layout of deep integration of industry-academia-research-application.
As one of the organizers and Secretariat Office of the Nan'ao Science Conference, GTIIT has been actively engaged in communication, preparation, and organization for the conference. To date, it has held 34 sessions of the Nan'ao Science Conference and 8 high-end academic events, bringing together nearly 1,800 experts and scholars, including 169 academicians, on Nan'ao Island to engage in in-depth discussions on the latest technical advances, cutting-edge applications, and development trends. Furthermore, in 2024, the Nan'ao Science Conference began hosting the Shuangqing Forum – Youth Science Forum, marking a deepened collaboration with the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) to jointly establish the "Shuangqing–Nan'ao Youth Science Forum". To date, two symposiums have been held under this initiative.
Text/Photos: Shantou Media Group, GTIIT News & Public Affairs
