China has granted its State S&T Award for 2007 to petrochemical scientist MIN Enze and botanist WU Zhengyi, both being CAS Members, for progress in technological innovation. The picture shows that Chinese President HU Jintao is conferring the award certificate on Prof. Wu, a researcher with the CAS Kunming Institute of Botany, at the awarding ceremony held on 8 January in Beijing.
Petrochemical scientist Min Enze, one of the two laureates of the 2007 State Top S&T Award, speaks at the ceremony in Beijing. [Xinhua Photo]
China granted its State S&T Award for 2007 on 8 January to petrochemical scientist MIN Enze and botanist WU Zhengyi, both being CAS Members, for progress in technological innovation.
Chinese President HU Jintao, with other senior leaders, presented the 5 million yuan (about 600,000 U.S. dollars) prizes at the annual national science-technology award ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
As an innovator in petrochemical technology, Min laid the foundation of petroleum refining applied catalysis in China, according to the award review committee.
Min has dedicated his life to the study of petrochemical and chemical engineering, as oil demand soars globally. The committee praised his work as an explorer in the research and development of petrochemical green chemistry, as well as his efforts to make better biofuel.
Botanist Wu, 91, a native of eastern Jiangxi Province, has been engaged in botanical research and education for 70 years. "He is an authority in the fields of systematic botany and plant geography as well as plant diversity, conservation and sustainable use of plant resources," the committee remarked.
The botany professor graduated from the biology department of the elite Beijing-based Tsinghua University in 1937 and became director of the CAS Kunming Institute of Botany in 1958.
As the chief editor of
Flora Reipublicae Popularis Sinicae, or
"Flora of China", which showcases the work of three generations of botanists, Wu played the key role. His critical contributions made the book "the most comprehensive of its kind that characterizes plant species and distributions in China," the review committee said.
Wu organized several extensive surveys of plant resources in East Asia, especially the biologically rich Yunnan Province in southwest China.
"He has published research on 1,766 new taxa of plants in his study of plant taxonomy, which makes him the top botanist in China in terms of the number of plants that were discovered and named," the committee said.
Premier WEN Jiabao said in a keynote speech that China had reached a stage in its history where it was more dependent on scientific and technological innovation, and it should strive to enhance its innovative capabilities, which were a national strategic priority.
Government and Party officials should "make friends with scientists" and "extensively take their advice", Wen said, adding the country should create a sound, respectful environment for scientists and scientific progress.
The premier called for major technological breakthroughs in key fields such as exploration of energy resources, environmental protection, pollution control, product quality, food safety and safe production.
The International Rice Research Institute, and four foreign scientists -- British geophysicist Li Xiangyang, U.S. materials scientist Liu Jinchuan, Russian geographer N. L. Dobretsov and German biologist Peter Gruss -- won the international technological cooperation award for their collaboration with Chinese scientists.
Since the State Scientific and Technological Award was established in 2000, nine CAS Members have received the five-million-yuan top award, including atmospheric physicist YE Duzheng, liver and gall specialist WU Mengchao, geologist LIU Dongsheng, physicist HUANG Kun, mathematician WU Wenjun, IT expert WANG Xuan and wheat breeding expert LI Zhensheng. (Adapted from Xinhua news report)
