The 2024 Ho Leung Ho Lee (HLHL) Foundation Summit and Photo Exhibition was held on June 20 in Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province. Organized by the Selection Board of the HLHL Foundation, the event was co-organized by the Hebei Provincial Department of Science and Technology and hosted by Yanshan University (YSU). The theme was "Green, Intelligence, and Information – Boosting New Quality Productive Forces and High-Quality Development". Numerous notable figures were present at the summit, including Duan Ruichun, Secretary General of the Selection Board of the HLHL Foundation and Chief Representative of the Beijing Representative Office of the Foundation; Tian Yongjun, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and YSU Professor; Zhao Xianfeng, Secretary of the CPC YSU Committee; Zhao Dingxuan, Deputy Secretary of the CPC YSU Committee and YSU President; Meng Jiandong, Assistant to the Secretary General of the Selection Board of the HLHL Foundation and Representative of the Beijing Representative Office of the Foundation; Zheng Fangneng, Assistant to the Secretary General of the Selection Board of the HLHL Foundation; Zhang Yongqiang, Deputy Director General of the Hebei Provincial Department of Science and Technology; Jiao Dawei, Vice Mayor of Qinhuangdao; Zhang Deqiang, Vice President of the Hebei Academy of Sciences; Wang Desong, YSU Vice President; Zhao Yongqiang, Vice President of Hebei GEO University, and others. Zhao Dingxuan presided over the opening ceremony.
A scene from the summit
Zhao Xianfeng delivers a speech
Zhao Dingxuan presides over the opening ceremony
Zhao Xianfeng extended a warm welcome to all the leaders and guests at the summit on behalf of YSU. He highlighted that the HLHL Fund is a significant, well-regarded, and widely recognized award established by social forces in China. The Fund, which epitomizes the Hong Kong compatriots’ dedication to serving the motherland, has contributed substantially to China's scientific endeavors. YSU was established in response to the industrialization drive of new China and has been dedicated to cultivating innovative talents in the field of science and technology for the country. By hosting this event, the university wishes to capitalize on its strengths in academic disciplines and talents, further strengthen its collaboration with local governments and sister institutions, and leverage the power of all sectors of the community in an effort to promote new quality productive forces and high-quality development at the national and local level.
Jiao Dawei gives a speech
In his address, Jiao Dawei underscored the commitment of the People's Government of Qinhuangdao Municipality to fostering scientific and technological advancement. He pledged to provide scientific and technological professionals with enhanced services and a more conducive environment, to reinforce the city's support for scientific and technological innovation, and to collaborate with the scientific and technological community to advance scientific and technological endeavors in Qinhuangdao City.
Zhang Yongqiang delivers a speech
In his speech, Zhang Yongqiang highlighted that this summit marks the inaugural event held by the HLHL Foundation in Hebei since the Ministry of Science and Technology's 2023 implementation of the Measures for the Administration of the Establishment of Science and Technology Awards by Non-governmental Sectors. This demonstrates endorsement and support and provides incentives and motivations for the scientific and technological endeavors undertaken by the Hebei government. Since its establishment, the HLHL Foundation has bestowed the HLHL Awards upon 17 scientists in Hebei Province. These laureates have made invaluable contributions to the province's high-quality development and modernization drive, promoting scientific and technological innovation, cultivating talent, and spearheading socio-economic growth. In the future, Hebei will continue to cultivate a vibrant environment for scientific and technological innovation, so that leading experts and scholars can be motivated to provide guidance on scientific and technological innovation in Hebei, and offer valuable insights for the province's economic and social development.
Duan Ruichun delivers a speech
In his speech, Duan Ruichun reflected on the 30-year legacy of the HLHL Foundation, which has become deeply rooted in the Chinese nation. He emphasized the foundation's role in fostering enthusiasm among science and technology professionals, inspiring Chinese people to pursue scientific and technological advancement, and contributing to the country's overall scientific and technological prowess. He sought to facilitate an understanding of the national science and technology innovation strategies among attendees at the summit. This would allow science and technology innovation to be fully utilized to advance new productive forces and high-quality development, accelerating sci-tech self-reliance and self-strengthening at higher levels.
Wang Desong presides over the keynote report session
Mei Shengwei presents a report
He Xiangning presents a report
Zhang Zhimin presents a report
The keynote report session was chaired by Wang Desong. Mei Shengwei, Professor of Tsinghua University and Vice President of Qinghai University, Prof. He Xiangning of Zhejiang University, and Prof. Zhang Zhimin of North University of China were invited to present the keynote reports. The three speakers are the recipients of the HLHL Awards, and each has made significant scientific and technological contributions within their respective disciplines. In their respective reports, the speakers discussed the projects they were involved in, namely, the use of deep underground salt caverns for energy storage and its pilot projects, power electronics technology supporting efficient energy conversion and regulation, and low-energy consumption pultrusion technology for large-scale high-performance, lightweight complex components and its application. By analyzing the research background, innovative achievements, and typical applications, the scholars presented the significant contributions and advancements in their respective fields, offering guidance and insights for the high-quality development of fields such as energy storage and materials processing.
Attendees view the Photo Exhibition
Attendees visit YSU’s History Museum
Attendees visit the State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology
During the event, attendees viewed the HLHL Foundation Photo Exhibition, "Glory, Responsibility, and Dream", and the exhibitions of exemplary scientific and technological achievements from Hebei Province and key scientific and technological innovation achievements from YSU. Before the event kicked off, the leaders of the Selection Board of the HLHL Foundation and the Provincial Department of Science and Technology paid a visit to YSU, where they visited YSU’s History Museum and the State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology.
Nearly 200 people attended the event, including Ren Xiaoming, Executive Secretary of the Selection Board of the HLHL Foundation and Representative of the Beijing Representative Office of the Foundation, and Li Cunjun, Director of the Archives Office of the HLHL Foundation and Deputy General Manager of the China Ordnance Technology Consulting and Standards Research Institute. The event was also attended by Zhong Yong'an, Director of the Department of Frontier Technology of the Hebei Provincial Department of Science and Technology; Wang Kailiang, Second Grade Researcher of the Department of Science and Technology Achievement Transfer and Promotion; and Zhang Jianrong, Deputy Director of the Science and Technology Division of the Hebei Education Department. Also in attendance were experts, scholars, and research managers from over 40 colleges, universities, and research institutes across China, along with faculty and student representatives from YSU.
The HLHL Foundation is a Hong Kong-based charitable foundation for social welfare established in 1994 by four patriotic Hong Kong financiers: Mr. Ho Sin-Hang, Mr. Leung Kau-Kui, Mr. Ho Tim, and Mr. Lee Quo-Wei. Their motivation for establishing the foundation was based on their reverence for science and desire to revive the Chinese nation. The foundation seeks to recognize and reward scientific and technological professionals who have made outstanding contributions to the cause of science and technology in China, promoting scientific and technological advancement and innovation in the motherland. The HLHL Foundation Award is one of the largest and most influential public welfare science and technology awards in China. The Foundation bestows prizes on an annual basis, with three categories: Science and Technology Achievement, Science and Technology Progress, and Science and Technology Innovation.
