AsianScientist (Mar. 29, 2018) – China’s State Council has conferred awards on Professor Hou Yunde and Professor Wang Zeshan, two scientists who have made significant scientific contributions to China’s technological progress, economic and social development and modernization of national defense.
Widely regarded as the ‘Nobel Prize’ of China, the State Pre-eminent Science and Technology Award is the nation’s highest scientific award and comes with a cash prize of RMB 5,000,000 (~US$800,000). Awardees receive 10 percent of the cash prize, while the remaining amount is channeled towards their research.
Hou is a geneticist and an expert in virology. He was the first to manufacture clinical grade recombinant human interferon in China, a potent antiviral drug. In addition, Hou is credited for setting up a disease detection system for the testing and identification of infectious pathogens, such as the H1N1 virus and the middle east respiratory syndrome virus.
On the other hand, Wang is widely regarded as a pioneer in new explosives, earning him the moniker ‘King of Explosives’ and ‘Chinese Alfred Nobel.’ He is credited with expanding the range of China’s artillery by more than 20 percent. His findings on the reuse of waste energetic materials and his theory of propellant charges have also been applied in both civilian and military contexts.
A total of 271 projects were honored with the national prizes, including 35 for the state natural science award, 66 for the national technological invention award and 170 for the national science and technology progress award.
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Source: The State Council Of The People’s Republic of China; Photo: China Wiki.
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