On the afternoon of November 3, the grand ceremony for the 2024 Future Science Prize was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Academician Tao Zhang from our institution and Academician Yadong Li from Tsinghua University received the 2024 Future Science Prize in Physical Sciences for their groundbreaking contributions to the development and application of "single-atom catalysis." Nearly 500 people, including past winners of the Future Science Prize, donors, council members of the Future Forum, members of the Future Science Prize Scientific Committee, supervisors, and representatives of scientists and young scientists from global universities, institutes, and research institutions, gathered together to celebrate the scientific achievements of the winners and witness this prestigious moment.
At the ceremony, Professor Xie Chen, a member of the Future Science Prize Scientific Committee, announced the reasons for awarding the Physical Sciences Prize. Together with Mr. Feng Deng, a donor of the Future Science Prize, and Professors Yulin Weng, Chao Lin, Li Deng, and Yi Cui, also members of the Scientific Committee, they presented the trophy, medal, and certificate to the two winners of the Physical Sciences Prize. In his acceptance speech, Tao Zhang expressed gratitude for the people and experiences he encountered at different stages, thanked his collaborators and research team for their contributions, and pledged to continue making greater contributions to the development of catalysis science in China. Tao Zhang also specially mentioned that choosing to pursue his graduate studies at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (DICP), over forty years ago was one of the most important and correct decisions in his life. The first-class scientists, research facilities, and research atmosphere at DICP provided him with excellent conditions and a solid foundation for his growth, enabling him to progress from a student to a scientist step by step. He sincerely thanked DICP for its nurturing and expressed his heartfelt gratitude to his mentor, Academician Liwu Lin, Researcher Jingling Zang, and all the teachers who helped him.
In the "Future Science Prize Winners Dialogue with Youth" event held in the morning of the same day, Tao Zhang delivered a fascinating science popularization report on "single-atom catalysis" to the youth at the scene. The atmosphere was warm, and during the interactive session, he answered the scientific topics of concern to the youth one by one and encouraged them to bravely pursue their scientific dreams, seize opportunities from difficulties, and strive to become scientific explorers.
Previously, the "Joint Academic Seminar of the Future Science Prize and the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences" was held on October 21. Tao Zhang, Academician Zaiku Xie, and Professor Zhipan Liu presented excellent academic reports on the theme of "single-atom catalysis." They introduced in detail the development history and research progress of single-atom catalysis, outlined the industrial application prospects, and shared scientific discoveries driven by artificial intelligence computational simulations. Subsequently, Academicians Chunli Bai, Xinhe Bao, Licheng Sun, and Tao Zhang, as invited guests, participated in the dialogue session hosted by Professor Jun Li and engaged in in-depth interactions with the researchers and graduate students on site, jointly discussing the future development prospects and influence of single-atom catalysis, as well as the opportunities and challenges in the fields of surface and interface catalysis, the integration of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, and AI+catalysis.
Founded in 2016, the Future Science Prize is a private scientific award jointly initiated by scientists and entrepreneurs. It aims to reward scientists who have achieved outstanding scientific results in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, drive more private funds to promote basic scientific research in China through an innovative model, foster the development of the scientific cause, and influence China, the world, and the next generation with the scientific spirit. Academician Xueming Yang from our institution previously received the 2022 Future Science Prize in Physical Sciences.
