On December 13, the fifth Fudan-Zhongzhi Science Award ceremony and 2020 Fudan Science and Innovation Forum were held in Shanghai. The event gathered over 200 top scientists and young scholars from all over the world to exchange views on cutting-edge technologies and innovation trends.
This year’s Fudan-Zhongzhi Science Award was jointly awarded to Sir Michael V. Berry, Charles L. Kane and Xue Qikun.
Sir Michael V. Berry, a professor of physics at Bristol University and fellow of the Royal Society, made a breakthrough in basic quantum mechanics with his proposal of the Berry phase, which serves as a basic concept to understand a number of the most important systems in condensed matter physics such as topological insulator, quantum Hall effect, which are characterized by quantized Berry phase.
Charles Kane, a professor of physics at the University of Pennsylvania and a member of the US National Academy of Sciences, is responsible for most of the key theoretical concepts that have generated the field of topological insulators, and the ensuing broader investigation into topological features of electronic structure. Due to his pioneering theoretical works, many topological insulator materials and its derivatives such as Weyl semimetals have been proposed in theories and discovered in experiments, and they now form an active and important sub-field in condensed matter physics.
Xue Qikun, President of Southern University of Science and Technology and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is best known for the experimental discovery of the quantum anomalous Hall effect. The precise quantization of the Hall conductance in the absence of external magnetic field makes the quantum anomalous Hall effect one of the most remarkable discoveries in condensed matter physics since the discoveries of quantum Hall effect and the fractional quantum Hall effect.
Xu Ningsheng
Liu Fuhua
Samuel Chao Chung Ting
Xu Ningsheng, President of Fudan University and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, delivered opening remarks at the main forum. Liu Fuhua, Chief Compliance Officer of Zhongzhi Enterprise Group, brought congratulatory speech. Samuel Chao Chung Ting, chair of the Award Committee and laureate of Nobel Prize in Physics, announced the winners and award citations.
Sir Michael V. Berry
Charles Kane
Xue Qikun
Sir Michael V. Berry and Charles Kane, attended the ceremony by video recording and gave award acceptance speeches. Xue Qikun attended the ceremony in person and gave a report themed Experiments and Experiences of Quantum Anomalous Hall Effect.
Lu Chunfang
Cai Ronggen
Lu Chunfang, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and railway engineering technology and management expert, made a speech entitled Research on the Development of High-speed Rail Technology, which was followed by the report General Relativity, Black Holes and Gravitational Waves given by Cai Ronggen, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and director of the Institute of Theoretical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
In addition to the main forum, the two-day event also incorporates four sub-forums respectively centering on physics science, mathematics, human phenome and data science & artificial intelligence.
The sub-forums brought together more than thirty experts and scholars who delivered keynote speeches on the prospects of spin physics, information technology, nonlinear mathematics, applied mathematics, the Human Phenome Project, the Belt and Road Initiative, big data modeling, smart driving and etc.
The Fudan-Zhongzhi Science Award was jointly founded by Fudan University and Zhongzhi Enterprise Group in 2015, to give unrivalled recognition to global scientists who have made fundamental and distinguished achievements in the fields of Physics, Mathematics and Biomedicine.
The award is announced every year in these three fields on rotation. The purpose of this award is to promote global scientific research, along with advancement in science and technology, and thus providing an internationally-shared platform for research communication, discussion and sharing. By gathering global talents in technology innovation, the award is aimed at boosting technology competitiveness of China and reserving candidates for world class awards.
More Global, More Science, More Collaboration
Ningsheng Xu
December 13th, 2020
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning!
The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 has brought more challenges to the preparation of this year Forum and Award. With joint efforts,we come together today! Here, on behalf of Fudan University, I would like to express warm welcome to all the guests and my sincere gratitude to everyone helping this Forum and Award. In particular, I should like to thank every committee member of Fudan-Zhongzhi Science Award. My special gratitude should go to Mr Zhi-Kun Xie and Zhong-Zhi Enterprise. Without their contribution, the award is impossible!
Throughout the history of mankind, every revolutionary progress of civilization comes from technology innovation based on scientific discovery. Today, when diversification has become inevitable global research cooperation should be more emphasized. The Covid-19 pandemic has continuously raised our awareness on this: global research cooperation is the core element for building a community with a shared future for mankind. We should develop a global network to pool ideas and wisdom worldwide to solve major issues in human development. This is one of the purposes of Fudan-Zhongzhi Science Award and Forum. Award-winning scientists have made outstanding contributions to the development of mankind, regardless of their nationality or background. We set up this platform for research communication for promotion of cooperation of more and more scientists.
A university is a gathering place and training ground for disciplines and talents, and the most important source of scientific discovery and technology innovation. More important, its major commission is promotion of progress of civilization of mankind. Fudan University has always attached great importance to scientific research and technological innovation, and more attention to the global collaboration for betterment of mankind. In recent years, we continuously enhance our original research capabilities,with emphasis on several key research areas, including micro-/nano-electronics, life science and artificial intelligence. Also, we strive to do more and more work for the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal. In particular, Fudan University recently repeatedly emphasize to our researchers and students the followings: Self-motivation, Academic independence (clear vision, value for betterment of mankind), Confidence (persistence), Self-discipline, in short, ie SACS. In summary, a university must persist on researches for the betterment of mankind,should focus on original study aiming at discovery, invention and theory, and should make more efforts to build up global network of key areas of research.
Fudan Science and Innovation Forum has been held since 2015. After five year development, the Forum has built up its global influence. Today we hold the 6th Fudan Science and Innovation Forum, and the 5th Fudan-Zhongzhi Science Award Ceremony, not only to recognize scientists who have made fundamental and distinguished achievements in Physics, but also to gather talents in area of science and technology to exchange the latest achievements. Here, I sincerely wish Fudan Science and Innovation Forum 2020 and Fudan-Zhongzhi Science Award Ceremony a huge success, making contribute to the national strategic development, the sci-tech innovation center of Shanghai, and the global scientific and technological research community. Wish all guests and delegates a good time.
Thank you!
