Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) hosted a sub-forum of the 2018 China Science Fiction Conference last week. The forum attracted many of the biggest names in science-fiction, including 2018 Arthur C. Clarke Award Winner, Liu Cixin, who won the award for Imagination in Service to Society. More than 400 people attended the forum

SUSTech leadership and faculty members from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences also joined the event. SUSTech’s Center for Science and Human Imagination co-organized the sub forum.

SUSTech President Chen Shiyi welcomed the famous science fiction writers and shared his science fiction reading experience. He said that he believes that science and imagination are the bridge for people become future leaders. Science fiction not only reflects science, but also inspires people and creates social influence. He hoped that in the future, some SUSTech students could write excellent science fiction and make science fiction movies.

The sub-forum contained two topics. The first was a roundtable discussion about “Following the frontier of scientific research to the cutting edge of science fiction” and “Fantasy of the City, Architecture and the Great Bay Area.” Liu Cixin was joined by deputy editor-in-chief of Science Fiction World Yao Haijun. SUSTech faculty members included Vice President Tang Tao, SUSTech Chair Professor of Chemistry Liu Ke, Professor of Mechanics and Aerospace Engineering Hong Wei, and Dr. Liu Yang.

In the following Q&A session, the audience talked to scientists and science fiction writers on topics, includes “the boundary of imagination”, “humanity in science fiction”, “how to design architecture in science fiction”, and the possible role of science and engineering universities in promoting the development of science fiction.

The second topic up for discussion was “The scientific imagination of the city and architecture in the Greater Bay Area.” Dr. Chen Yuehong, Dean of School of Humanities and Social Sciences at SUSTech, said that Shenzhen is n the core area of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, featuring a unique advantage in prospering a creative culture. SUSTech aims to contribute more in this area in Shenzhen. He proposed to build SUSTech into one of China’s most important center for science fiction industry.

The event was co-sponsored by the China Science and Technology Association, Tencent Science, the Science and Human Imagination Research Center of SUSTech, and the Science Fiction World magazine.