S pore can connect global talent to solve challenges facing mankind DPM Heng

BEIJING - Challenges facing mankind, such as ageing populations, pandemics and climate change, call for the sharing of ideas, resources and expertise between countries, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said on March 27 at a forum in China.

Singapore seeks to contribute to this global effort by connecting the best minds globally to advance these goals, he said at the Beijing Zhongguancun Forum, an annual showcase for Chinese technology.

DPM Heng cited the Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (Create),which was established in Singapore in 2012 to bring together top global universities, including Cambridge and Shanghai Jiaotong, to collaborate on research.

In 2024, the Create laboratory at the National University of Singapore, established by the National Research Foundation which DPM Heng chairs, launched a research programme on decarbonisation to gather the best researchers globally to work on green economic growth.

The lab’s next programme will focus on promoting healthy and successful longevity, he added, as countries from Singapore to China and Germany face challenges with ageing populations.

DPM Heng was on a four-day working visit to China, where he met senior Chinese officials and attended other engagements to advance bilateral cooperation. He wrapped up his trip on the night of March 27.

In his speech at the forum, he said he was glad that the event has, over the years, gathered talented scientists and leaders of research organisations, as well as companies, to come together to address global issues.

These issues include how to combine artificial intelligence (AI) with precision medicine to develop new vaccines and treatments, or to develop new sources of energy for sustainable growth, he said.

“Humans have a creative instinct which we should harness to improve the lives of our peoples. I’m glad that China and the rest of Asia are doing our