News & Updates
The 3rd Young Scientist SDGs Award Unveiled at WYSS 2025
Date: October 25, 2025
Location: Plenary Session of the 2025 World Young Scientist Summit (WYSS)
Event: The 3rd Young Scientist Sustainable Development Goals Award (Young Scientist SDGs Award) was announced and presented.
On the morning of October 25, 2025, at the Plenary Session of the 2025 World Young Scientist Summit (WYSS 2025) held in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, the third Young Scientist Sustainable Development Goals Award (the 3rd Young Scientist SDGs Award) was officially unveiled. Dr. Liu Yingjun, Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Porotech (UK); Professor Mariangela Russo from the University of Turin, Italy; Professor Wolfgang Tress from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), Switzerland; and Professor Wang Hui, a Specially Appointed Professor at the University of Science and Technology of China, were honored with this year’s award. Each awardee received a prize of 1 million RMB, recognizing their outstanding contributions in fields such as compound semiconductor materials, molecular and cell biology, organic and perovskite photovoltaics, and photonic quantum computing.
Dr. Liu Yingjun: Advanced energy-efficient display devices through innovative semiconductor porous GaN technology and actively promoted the development of recyclable wafer technology, contributing to the green transition of the global electronics industry.
Professor Mariangela Russo: Made breakthrough discoveries in the mechanisms of drug resistance in colorectal cancer, providing new avenues for precision medicine and contributing to global public health efforts.
Professor Wolfgang Tress: Dedicated to research on perovskite photovoltaic technology, fostering the adoption of clean energy and low-carbon development, while advocating for open scientific data and international collaboration.
Professor Wang Hui: As a key contributor to the “Jiuzhang” photonic quantum computing prototype, laid the foundation for sustainable computing infrastructure through low-energy-consumption quantum systems.
The award ceremony, a gathering of top leaders from both Chinese and international scientific communities, brought the event to a climax. The presentation of awards was jointly conducted by multiple internationally authoritative scientists and academicians, reflecting the global science and technology community’s shared expectations and support for the younger generation:
Academician Zheng Xiaojing of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Mr. Francis Gurry, Former Director-General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), jointly presented the award to Dr. Liu Yingjun.
Professor Arieh Warshel, 2013 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry and Member of the US National Academy of Sciences, and Academician Qiao Jie of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, jointly presented the award to Professor Mariangela Russo.
Academician Chen Qingquan of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and Professor Gu Sai, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (UK), Executive Vice President of the University of Warwick, jointly presented the award to Professor Wolfgang Tress.
Professor Donald Bruce Dingwell, Foreign Fellow of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Member of the European Academy of Sciences, and Academician Ma Yugang of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Vice President of Fudan University, jointly presented the award to Professor Wang Hui.
The 3rd Young Scientist SDGs Award was jointly initiated by the World Association of Young Scientists, the Wenzhou World Young Scientist Growth Foundation, and the Global SDGs and Leadership Development Center. It aims to respond to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by selecting and motivating young scientists who have made significant contributions to addressing major human development challenges. The 2025 award focused on eight key areas selected from the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, encompassing clean energy, disease control, green technology, and digital infrastructure, reflecting the Center’s strategic objective of leveraging science and technology to empower sustainable development.
During the application period from May 30 to August 31, 2025, the award received a total of 204 applications from 29 countries and regions worldwide, representing a 40.7% increase in applicant numbers compared to the previous year. The number and quality of international applicants saw significant growth, demonstrating the award’s increasing global appeal and the extensive influence of the Global SDGs and Leadership Development Center within the international scientific research community.
The agenda of the Plenary Session at this World Young Scientist Summit was substantial, closely centering on the timely theme of “Embracing Transformation.” Following opening speeches by leaders and distinguished guests. Subsequently, the summit released important research reports including the “Global Survey on the Growth and Development of Early-Career Young Scientists (2025)” and launched multiple international cooperation initiatives designed to support young scientists in innovation and entrepreneurship. During the “Keynote Speech” session, several global science leaders shared their insights. Among them, Dr. Arieh Warshel, 2013 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, delivered a remarkable speech on “How to Navigate the Transformation Brought by Open Science and Global Collaboration.”
The summit also featured a “Lightning Talk” session, where awardee Professor Mariangela Russo and other young talents shared their scientific achievements and sense of mission, revolving around the same theme.
Videos of the award ceremony and Professor Russo’s speech are available at: https://pan.baidu.com/s/1KHa2FTJROw2jdreV2-L0qQ?pwd=w9h8
The Global SDGs and Leadership Development Center is committed to building a global platform for the leadership development and collaboration of young scientists. The innovation driven by young scientists is crucial for advancing global sustainable development. This award not only recognizes scientific achievements but also aims to shape the future science and technology leaders capable of guiding interdisciplinary and cross-border collaboration.
Looking ahead, the Global SDGs and Leadership Development Center will continue to utilize this award and other initiatives to deepen the construction of a global network of young scientists, facilitate the translation of scientific breakthroughs into sustainable development solutions, and unite the next generation of change-makers who combine scientific excellence with leadership for the common well-being of humanity.
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