From left to right, Dr B. Harikrishnan, Dr Li Chin Law, Dr Lek Hong Lim (Lex) and Dr Yong Ren Tan representing CARES at the Global Young Scientists Summit 2026.
This year’s Global Young Scientists Summit (GYSS) welcomed its largest cohort yet, with over 400 young researchers from 57 countries gathering in Singapore.
Organised by the National Research Foundation, GYSS offers a “rare opportunity for early-career researchers to interact with Nobel Laureates and researchers from a wide range of disciplines”, as highlighted by Dr B. Harikrishnan, a CARES Research Fellow working on low-carbon energy research.
CARES’ presence at the Summit continued to grow, with our delegation doubling from two researchers in 2025 to four this year, highlighting the calibre of our research talent. We are grateful for the opportunity to participate in such a meaningful global engagement for scientific dialogue, mentorship, and collaboration.
Over the five-day Summit, CARES researchers were exposed to a wide range of perspectives that challenged them to rethink their work in a broader context.
For Dr Li Chin Law (CARES Research Fellow in the HYCOMBS programme), a key takeaway was the importance of making research resonate with others.
“My key takeaway was the idea of research as “entertainment”: making what truly interests you engaging for your audience—and, ultimately, for funders and stakeholders.”
This insight emerged during a fireside chat with Professor Brian Schmidt (recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics, 2011) and Professor Kae Nemoto (Director of the Global Research Center for
Quantum Information Science at the National Institute of Informatics) where her question, “What’s the “right” problem to solve?” was met with a simple but powerful response: “There is no “right” or “wrong”. It’s about making what’s interesting to you, interesting to others.”
From left to right: Professor Brian Schmidt, Dr Li Chin Law, Professor Kae Nemoto
A recurring theme from the Summit was the social nature of scientific progress.
Dr Yong Ren Tan (CARES Research Fellow in the HYCOMBS programme) reflected on how Sir Duncan Haldane’s fireside chat reshaped his thinking:
“True scientific breakthroughs emerge not from solitary “sit in a room yourself”, but built through social interactions and collaborations.”
This sentiment was echoed by Dr Lek Hong Lim (Lex), CARES’ Chemical Engineer in the SM3 programme, who highlighted the growing importance of interdisciplinary work:
“Interdisciplinary is the future. Gathering thoughts and concepts from experts from different fields can help shape new ideas and unlock new directions.”
Dr Yong Ren Tan (right) at GYSS 2026
Dr Lek Hong Lim (Lex) at GYSS 2026
Beyond these reflections, GYSS also created tangible networking and collaboration opportunities that directly support CARES researchers’ work.
Yong Ren: “GYSS benefits my CARES research on hydrogen-ammonia combustion by connecting me with an interdisciplinary network, including HPC architects, materials scientists, and policy experts, where I would benefit to transition from fundamental science to applied sustainable fuel breakthroughs.”
Hari: “As an early-career researcher, engaging with peers from the global scientific community helped me discover new tools and perspectives to broaden my research and career direction. The lectures by Jack Dongarra and Torsten Hoefler on high-performance computing, big data, and large language models were especially valuable and gave me concrete ideas for future work. In addition, the plenary talks and panel discussions on quantum technologies offered insight into emerging trends and their potential impact on my research.”
Dr B. Harikrishnan (second from the left above) and Dr Lek Hong Lim (Lex) (most right above) with other GYSS participants
CARES is truly honoured to be part of GYSS 2026, and the perspectives, connections, and conversations gained will continue to shape our research and collaborations.
