Scientists in the fields of chemistry, physics and computer science are present at the 2019 Global Scientist Summit in Chongqing. [Photo/liangjiang.gov.cn]

The 2019 Global Scientist Summit was held over the weekend in Southwest China's Chongqing municipality.

Scientists in the fields of chemistry, physics and computer science were present, including 13 Nobel prize laureates, four Turing Award winners, and two Fields Medal winners.

Over 300 scholars from Chinese and foreign universities and research institutes also took part in the two-day event.

The important role that basic scientific research play was emphasized by Nobel prize laureates at the summit.

Basic scientific research driven by curiosity can lead innovation and change the future, said David Gross, a Nobel prize laureate.

Basic scientific research can help attract and train talents for the society, and children can attain self-learning abilities and motivation from the inspiration they get from basic scientific research, he said.

"Long-term investment in basic scientific research should not be neglected for the country's multidimensional development," said Lin Guoqiang, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences. "It is imperative to promote basic scientific research to produce major outcomes that can inject stronger power to global development."

The scientists also discussed the challenges and opportunities for scientific research in the 21st century, future cryptography, chiral chemistry, a combination of traditional Chinese and western medicine as well as the future of physics.