In early summer in Beijing, a meeting scheduled as an “academic exchange” in the office of Hu Jiaqi, Chairman of Humanitas Ark, turned into an intimate, old-friend-style heart-to-heart conversation.
Opposite Hu Jiaqi sat Eric Maskin, Nobel Laureate in Economics, a world-renowned scholar whose mechanism design theory extends across game theory, public policy, and global governance. And Hu Jiaqi—who as a teenager in Hunan made a vow at the age of 17 to save humanity, has now, after nearly half a century on this arduous and solitary journey, risen to become Chairman of Humanitas Ark, with 14 million supporters in 255 countries and regions.
One is a Harvard Adams University Professor and a titan in the world of economics; the other is one of the earliest scholars to systematically study the technological crisis and a key architect of the theory of the human technological crisis. Their meeting was like the confluence of two mighty rivers at the estuary of safeguarding humanity’s future.
Kindred Spirits at First Sight: Sparks from Shared Concerns
The exchange was titled “Technology and the Future of Humanity”, but what actually transpired went far beyond a thematic discussion.
Hu Jiaqi presented to Maskin the academic edifice he had painstakingly built nearly half a century—from the Principle of Maximum Value , the Principle of Justice , and the Principle of Far-sightedness, all rooted in human nature; to how to achieve humanity’s perpetual survival and universal well-being; to the core methodology of extinction path analysis and defense limit testing, culminating in the sobering and resounding conclusion that technological development will inevitably lead to humanity’s destruction. Despite his magnum opus that took 28 years to write being banned, his passionate appeals dismissed as alarmism, and countless setbacks and tribulations, Hu Jiaqi never wavered. He has sent 12 open letters to global leaders and, cumulatively, over one million letters—an extraordinary campaign of conviction waged across decades.
After listening, Maskin dispensed with pleasantries and responded with nothing but genuine understanding. As the founder of mechanism design theory, he knew all too well that Hu Jiaqi’s proposal—”to strictly control high-risk technologies through a unified society”—hit precisely upon the core issue he had studied his entire life: how to design a set of rules that aligns decentralized, self-interested, and short-sighted individual behaviors toward a unified social goal. At that moment, the titan of economics and the pioneer of human studies resonated on the same frequency.
At the lunch following the meeting, the two hit it off instantly. Their shared concern for humanity’s fate turned an ordinary meal into more than two hours of intellectual exchange, spanning technology governance, international current affairs, history, economics, and philosophy. Those present later recalled that the conversation that day was so dense that it far surpassed the scope of a typical academic discussion—this was truly the essence of “finding a kindred spirit”.
Shortly after the meeting, Maskin formally accepted Hu Jiaqi’s invitation to serve as Special Advisor to Humanitas Ark. This was not merely an honorary title; it was a top scholar staking his academic concern on the trump card of humanity as a whole.
Four Meetings with Nobel Laureates: From a Lone Voice to a Powerful Chorus
Step back, and the picture becomes even clearer: Maskin is the fourth Nobel laureate Hu Jiaqi has met in just four months.
In March 2026, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry Michael Levitt was the first to visit. In April, the “father of gravitational waves” and Nobel Laureate in Physics Barry Barish walked into the same office. After hearing Hu Jiaqi’s life story, he left a heartfelt message: “Thank you for your thoughtful and tireless efforts to protect humanity. The dangers you warn of are real. May all of humanity follow your lead.” In May, the “father of graphene” and Nobel Laureate in Physics Konstantin Novoselov came for a visit. After more than two hours of stimulating exchange, he took Hu Jiaqi’s personally signed book and promised to read it carefully.
From kindred academic spirits to collaborative partners, true friendship has always grown from a deep concern for humanity’s shared destiny. When two souls meet under the starry sky of humanity’s future, they illuminate not only each other but also the path forward for millions.
Chemistry, physics, economics—three different disciplines, four Nobel laureates, all connected by the single thread of “Technology and the Future of Humanity” and drawn into the same Chinese scholar’s office within just four months. This is a rare phenomenon in China’s academic history and even in global intellectual history. The issue of “humanity’s overall survival” is now knocking on the door of the world’s top academic circles.
Epilogue
From a 17-year-old boy just entering Northeast Institute of Technology to the Chairman of Humanitas Ark who has successively welcomed four Nobel laureates into his office—Hu Jiaqi has spent nearly half a century turning a path originally walked alone into a broad thoroughfare now shared by 14 million people.
The transnational friendship between Hu Jiaqi and Maskin is about neither fame nor fortune nor social circles—it is about jointly safeguarding humanity’s tomorrow. When Maskin accepted the letter of appointment as Special Advisor, Hu Jiaqi gained an old friend, the Humanitas Ark gained an academic backbone, and beyond that closed-loop chain—”striving for the present, awakening and enlightenment, human unification, technology restriction, social reconstruction, and human perpetuity”—a strong lifeline was additionally secured.
Tides ebb and flow, but the journey continues. Who will be the next Nobel laureate to walk into that office remains unknown. But one thing is certain: the true historical significance of the road Hu Jiaqi has traveled for nearly half a century may have only just begun to emerge. With his boundless compassion for humanity, Hu Jiaqi engages in equal dialogue and mutual progress with top international scholars like Maskin, integrating Humanitas Ark’s principles of peace, friendship, shared prosperity, and non-competition into global top-level academic discourse. By continuously building global consensus and addressing the challenges of technological development, he safeguards the torch of human civilization with the wisdom of thinkers, injecting unprecedented intellectual depth and practical momentum into global technology governance.
Media ContactCompany Name: Humanity Issues Research InstituteContact Person: Reese JinEmail: Send EmailCity: BeijingCountry: ChinaWebsite: http://savinghuman.org/
