During his September visit to China, he was very impressed by all his meetings with Chinese leaders, educators, and students, he added.
"Just the fact that the editor-in-chief of a science journal was given the opportunity to meet and speak freely for two hours with the Chinese premier says a great deal about the level of openness in the country today," said Alberts.
It also reflects the eagerness of Chinese leaders to learn science from other countries, in order to use science to build bridges between nations and improve human welfare. "All of these changes are commendable, being important both for China's and the world's future, and they are strongly welcomed," Alberts said.
He said that China is very fortunate to have key leaders who have scientific and engineering training and who deeply appreciate what scientific excellence can do for their nation. "Wen Jiabao, for example, is a professional geologist. The people of China also clearly recognize that science and technology are keys to economic prosperity and a better life overall."
In the United States, "we seem to under-appreciate the value of science at times," said Alberts. "This does not seem to be the case in China, where citizens and leaders alike seem to understand that strategies for fighting disease, better earthquake predictions, solutions to climate-change challenges, and access to safer, more nutritious and abundant foods will all depend upon advances in science and technology."
During Alberts' trip, he met with students at Tsinghua and Peking universities. "The caliber of university students in China is extraordinary."
When it comes to China's scientific advancement in the future, Alberts said:" As I discussed with the Chinese premier, I believe that a greater investment in basic research is essential because so often, new inventions and discoveries to improve human quality of life will spring serendipitously from fundamental investments made 30 years earlier."
This basic research is a long-term investment that sets the stage for major advances in the future, and it must not be neglected, Alberts stressed.
"Premier Wen and I also agree that innovation starts with the education of children, and the nurturing and support of the young investigators who represent the future of science in the world."
They also discussed the importance of providing competitive, merit-based research funding for the very best young scientists to encourage them to take risks and to innovate.
Alberts said the new Young Innovator Award from the U.S. National Institutes of Health is a very good program in U.S.. "I believe that allowing the most outstanding young people to carry out independent research based on their own ideas is critical for the future of science in any nation."
It is also important to increase openness so that researchers are always free to move back and forth as they collaborate with their peers.
"This free exchange is not only essential for scientific advancement; the personal bridges of friendship and trust that U.S. and Chinese scientists build between our two nations can also be important for the world's future," Alberts said.
(Xinhua News Agency October 29, 2008)