Prof Guanghao Chen, Chair Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has been named a recipient of the prestigious National Innovation Pioneer Award (全國創新爭先獎) that was newly established by the Central Government this year. The award recognizes teams and individuals who made outstanding achievements in scientific research, technology development, infrastructure, engineering, advancements in the industries and enterprises, and contributions to the larger society.

Presented every three years, the award recognizes 10 teams and gives out medals to no more than 30 individuals and certificates to no more than 300 individuals each time. Prof Chen is one of the 254 certificate awardees who are selected from 1,343 nominees across China in this inaugural year. He is also the only recipient from Hong Kong.

An international leader in water management and wastewater treatment technologies, Prof Chen has invented and/or developed the acclaimed Membrane Enhanced Primary Treatment (MEPT), seawater-based urine phosphorus recovery (SUPR), and Sulphate Reduction, Autotrophic Denitrification and Nitrification Integrated (SANI) processes. He collaborates with both local and global authorities and institutions and leads research and implements projects that use saline water as alternative water resources.

The National Innovation Pioneer Award serves as a new addition to the existing top national science and technology awards. While the State Natural Science Award, State Technological Invention Award and State Scientific and Technological Progress Award focus on awarding outstanding projects and the State Pre-eminent Science and Technology Award is presented annually to only one or two distinguished scientists, the new National Innovation Pioneer Award serves to recognize a larger number of outstanding individuals in the fields.

The National Innovation Pioneer Award has some of the toughest, most stringent criteria as laid out by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) along with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS), Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), and State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council (SASAC). Award-winning projects and individuals must be of immense contribution, have tremendously well-established foundation and outstanding track record and potential, must showcase razor-sharp skills, and, above all, be motivated by the desire to inspire and benefit humankind.

Related links:

• List of awardees (in Chinese)
• About the award (in Chinese)