Xu Liu is a research engineer whose Chinese name literally translates to “Morning Sun”. Coincidentally, her scientific work at Cornell University has her working on how to improve solar energy collection, as well as improving air quality. In partnership with One Young World, our Host James Chau met Xu Liu in London, where they discussed the work of advancing eco-friendly goals and how sharing a hometown with Confucious has given her a distinctive worldview.

In a time of pandemic, leaders in science, policy, and civil society are needed more than ever. From fighting stigma to funding research, the AIDS 2020: Virtual conference shines a light on how public health affects how we all live on this earth. In partnership with AIDS 2020: Virtual, our Host James Chau speaks with Dany Stolbunov, an activist in Eastern Europe and Central Asia—areas that are seeing the fastest-growing AIDS epidemic in the world today.

China’s thousands of years of history are filled with countless stories of human growth, culture, and civilization, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Liangzhu aims to preserve one such story of historical significance. The remains of the 5,000-year-old city contain traces of complex societal hierarchy, primitive technology, and unique artifacts that show the ways people lived millennia ago. In its place now stands modern-day Hangzhou, an innovation hub that is home to some of the world’s leading tech giants. This meeting point between the past, present, and future provides an important lens to view human civilization—and the ancient ruins of Liangzhu are a reminder of where that journey began.