Young Materials Scientist Wins 2017 ASPIRE Prize
Ha Noi, Viet Nam | 2017.05.12
Science, technology and innovation officials from APEC member economies have selected the cutting edge new carbon material researcher Dr. Yanwu Zhu of China as the winner of the 2017 APEC Science Prize for Innovation, Research, and Education.
The award, known as the ASPIRE Prize, was presented to Dr. Zhu in Ha Noi to recognize his cross-border research in the APEC region which focused on graphene based materials, a material that has gained global attention in the 21st century due to its strength in electrical conductivity and application in technological innovations such as thin yet durable display screens, electric and photonics circuits, solar cells, and more.
This year, the nominees considered for the grand prize showed the breadth and depth of young scientists in this field across the APEC region. More information on the nominees can be found here: http://www.apec.org/aspire/aspire2017/2017ASPIREnominees.aspx
“Research in advanced materials that contribute towards technological innovation driving the fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0, is a R&D driver in the Asia-Pacific,” explained Tran Quoc Khanh, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology of Viet Nam. “We congratulate Dr. Zhu for his contributions to the development of carbon materials and look forward to future advancements in the region that may stem from his research.”
Dr. Zhu is a Professor at the University of Science and Technology of China where he teaches at the School of Chemistry and Materials Science. His publications have been widely cited and his research with other APEC scientists has been applied in large-scale production of graphene materials.
“Collaboration between next generation researchers in the Asia-Pacific brings us forward not just in research labs but in real life innovative applications,” said Christin Kjelland, Chair of the APEC Policy Partnership for Science, Technology and Innovation, which administers the annual ASPIRE Prize recognizing outstanding cross-border research led by scientists under 40 years of age.
“Dr. Zhu is a prime example of the today’s young scientists who have experiences and partnerships across APEC member economies to develop research that support technological advancements,” shared Kjelland who is with the U.S. Department of State.
Dr. Zhu was awarded the ASPIRE Prize by the Policy Partnership on Science, Technology and Innovation (PPSTI) in Ha Noi. He also received a USD 25,000 award sponsored by Wiley and Elsevier, publishers of scholarly scientific knowledge.
“Scientific collaboration across the Asia-Pacific in material science is driving technology forward in a wide number of areas from developing medical products to advancement in solar energy capture,” said Robert Long, President of Wiley Asia. “We are honored to co-sponsor the ASPIRE Prize to celebrate the work of young researchers like Dr. Zhu and the other young scientists nominated for the prize this year.”
“Every day, electronics become increasingly integrated into our daily lives and Dr. Zhu’s cutting edge research shows potential to revolutionize the use and adaptability of these key technologies for the future,” concluded Youngsuk “Y.S.” Chi, Chairman of Elsevier. “We congratulate all the outstanding young scientists that were nominated this year and look forward to seeing how their research will contribute to tomorrow’s advances in the broad and exciting field of new material technologies.”
