To further broaden the international perspective of science and technology and improve the scientific literacy of younger generations, the Shenzhen Center for International Exchange of Personnel (SCIEP) launched the Global Masters Open Class to build a bridge between international school students and world-renowned scientists. Through the Open Class, students can learn science stories and technological achievements in varying cultural contexts, thereby motivating them to advocate science and explore the unknown. It can also help the public to enhance science literacy and devote themselves to accelerating the independence of China in developing cutting-edge technologies.

The first session of Global Masters Open Class was kicked off in Merchiston International School (MIS) Shenzhen on April 28. Prof. Michael Levitt, the 2013 Nobel laureate in chemistry and professor of structural biology at Stanford University, was invited to deliver a lecture on A Wonderful Life in Science and interact with teachers and students from MIS Shenzhen and Longhua Foreign Languages School. He recited his previous experiences in scientific research and shared his scientific findings and perceptions. His lecture gave the participants an opportunity to take a closer look at the academic charm of a Nobel laureate, thus stimulating their keenness for scientific exploration and passion to shape the future.

As one of the earliest researchers to conduct molecular dynamics simulations of DNA and proteins, Prof. Michael Levitt has long been an editorial board member of PNAS, the world’s most-cited and comprehensive scientific journal. His research work mainly focuses on RNA and DNA modeling, protein folding, protein geometric classification, antibody modeling, optimization for X-ray diffraction, geometric structure analysis of side-chains, torsional regular pattern analysis, molecular dynamics in solutions and mass spectrometry. Since 2001, he has been elected a fellow of the Royal Society, a member of the National Academy of Sciences, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2013, he received the Nobel Prize in chemistry for the development of multi-scale models for complex chemical systems as well as his remarkable contribution to the development of multi-scale computational simulation.

The first session of Global Masters Open Class consisted of campus tours, seminars, keynote speeches and Q&A sessions. Through these activities, Prof. Michael Levitt knew more about the educational features of Shenzhen international schools and the academic achievements. He exchanged ideas with the teachers on hot topics in education and scientific research. During the lecture, he demonstrated the appeal and value of scientific research by introducing personal experiences and research practices. He also encouraged students to be the explorer of the unknown and the pursuer of excellence on academic and career paths.

During the Q&A session, numerous questions were raised by the students, such as “what is the type of students you like the most as a teacher? What characters are the most important to students?” “What are the new opportunities and challenges that AI will bring to the chemistry sector?” Prof. Michael Levitt answered every question with patience. He also provided valuable advice about life and encouraged the younger generation to be passionate, persevering, dare to take risks, and never be afraid of making mistakes while keeping sincere and kind-hearted.

All participants were deeply impressed and enlightened by Prof. Michael Levitt’s profundity in speech, extensiveness in knowledge, integrity in scientific research, and the sense of humor in language. The lecture ended with a complete success, and Prof. Michael Levitt received warm applause and a bouquet of flowers from the students. Finally, all participants took a group photo to leave the beautiful memories.