On Monday, a Beijing-based academic seminar marked the official launch of the Chinese translation of *Questions of the Future*, a notable work by German molecular biologist Patrick Cramer, president of the Max Planck Society. This release marks the first time the book, originally published in German under the title *Zukunftswelten* in March 2024, has been adapted into a foreign language, bringing Cramer’s insights on global scientific progress to a new Chinese-speaking audience.
Hosted under the theme “Interdisciplinary Dialogues for the Science of Tomorrow,” the event brought together leading scientific experts from across sectors to explore how collaborative research can answer pressing global challenges. During his keynote address, Cramer walked attendees through the core arguments of his book, sharing his perspectives on the future direction of scientific inquiry, the power of cross-disciplinary research, and the irreplaceable role of international partnership in advancing knowledge.
Cramer stressed that foundational basic research, trailblazing original innovation, and open cross-border collaboration are non-negotiable for driving meaningful scientific progress. He further noted that a growing number of issues once considered far-off future concerns have now evolved into critical threats that will define the trajectory of human civilization. These pressing issues span the global transition to clean energy to reverse climate change, the far-reaching social disruption of rapid artificial intelligence advancement, and the systemic shifts required to accommodate aging populations worldwide amid modern medical progress.
Attending experts reinforced Cramer’s views during a subsequent roundtable discussion, pointing out that no single academic discipline or individual nation has the capacity to independently solve shared transnational challenges, from climate change and population aging to responsible AI governance and biodiversity protection. They concluded that expanding cross-disciplinary dialogue, deepening coordinated investment in basic research, and fostering consistent international scientific and technological exchange are critical not only for pushing the boundaries of human knowledge, but also for building collective solutions to the challenges that unite all countries.
The seminar was sponsored by the Bureau of International Cooperation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and organized by the Institute for the History of Natural Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.