Association of China–Spain Science and Technology Youth Science Program (Series III) Successfully Held

Under the guidance of Professor De-Yi Wang, President of the Association of China-Spain Science and Technology (hereinafter referred to as the “ACSST”) , the third popular science lecture for youth members is successfully held at Francisco de Vitoria University, UFV, on 24 April 2026. For this event, Dr. Qiong Tan from IMDEA Materials Institute was specially invited to deliver a scientific lecture entitled “New generation P-containing flame retardants design via machine learning”.

The lecture focused on the interdisciplinary frontier between artificial intelligence and materials science. Starting from fire safety issues in daily life and cutting-edge humanoid robot technologies, Dr. Tan guided the youth members to understand what artificial intelligence is, how AI discovers patterns from massive amounts of data, and how it can predict and evaluate material properties. Through specific examples from her own research, Dr. Tan vividly demonstrated the application of machine learning in the design of next-generation flame-retardant materials. She also summarized how artificial intelligence can support scientific research, promote technological innovation, and gradually enter our everyday lives.

The lecture hall was fully attended, and the atmosphere was lively and engaging. The children and accompanying parents listened attentively, actively participated in the discussion, and showed great interest. During the discussion session, the participants engaged in enthusiastic and in-depth exchanges around the hot topic of artificial intelligence. Parents, youth members, and the invited speaker jointly discussed the underlying logic of AI and big data analysis in the development of new materials, the development stages of artificial intelligence, public concerns about AI, future trends, and how young people and the public should properly understand and use artificial intelligence.

After the lecture, Dr. Guang-Zhong Yin, Council Member of the Association and Director of the Youth Committee, presented a commemorative certificate to Dr. Qiong Tan on behalf of the Association, expressing sincere gratitude for her contribution. Afterwards, all participating youth members took a group photo with Dr. Tan, capturing a memorable moment full of scientific inspiration and enthusiasm for exchange.

Finally, the lecture was further enriched by the concluding remarks of Professor De-Yi Wang. Professor Wang highly affirmed the organization and development of youth science activities, and expressed sincere thanks to the invited speaker, members, and parents for their support. Regarding the significance of youth science activities, Professor Wang pointed out that youth members are relatively young and vary greatly in age, while scientific lectures are often frontier-oriented, conceptually rich, and somewhat complex. Therefore, the purpose of participating in such activities is not necessarily to fully understand and absorb all the content. Even if, from each activity, they can remember just one new concept, understand one knowledge point, or keep in mind one sentence from the lecture, these small gains may one day become important inspiration for their future growth.

In relation to the theme of this lecture, Professor Wang also offered further reflections and guidance. He noted that artificial intelligence represents the future and has brought great convenience to our work, life, and learning. At the same time, however, we must continue to insist on independent learning. We should not stop thinking because of our reliance on AI, nor should we allow AI to hinder our learning and personal growth. Young people should acquire a more solid knowledge foundation and stronger judgement through continuous learning, learning how to master and use artificial intelligence rather than being controlled by it. We should truly regard AI as an important tool for improving learning efficiency, expanding cognitive boundaries, and serving scientific exploration. Professor Wang’s remarks are expected to help youth members better understand how to face artificial intelligence, and why we must continue to learn actively and think independently in this era of rapid AI development.

This event received strong support from UFV, to whom we extend our sincere gratitude. The activity was hosted throughout by Dr. Guang-Zhong Yin. Dr. Xiao-Mei Yang and Dr. Rohit Khargotra, members of the Association, were responsible for the overall coordination and organization of the event.