President Liu Liang Awarded Certificate of Merits in the First “National Innovation Pioneer Award”

At the 1st anniversary since General Secretary Xi Jinping gave important speeches at the National Conference on Science and Technology, the biennial conference of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and the 9th National Congress of the China Association for Science and Technology, the “Conference for Celebration of the National Science and Technology Workers Day and Conferment of the National Innovation Pioneer Award” was held in Beijing on May 27, 2017.

Secretary Liu Yunshan, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China and Secretary of the Secretariat of the Communist Party, Vice Premier Liu Yandong, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China and Vice Premier of the State Council of P.R.C., Vice President Li Yuanchao, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China and Vice President of P.R.C., Minister Wan Gang, Vice Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Chairman of the China Association for Science and Technology and Minister of the Ministry of Science and Technology, and other principal leaders of the Central Government attended the Conference.

On behalf of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Secretary Liu Yunshan gave regards to the science and technology workers and extended warm congratulations to the award-winning teams and individuals of the National Innovation Pioneer Award. The Secretary emphasizes that the science and technology workers need to compete in pioneering of innovation, conquer new heights in science and technology, and make contributions to developing China into a leading power in science and technology.
In order to fully carry forward the principal spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s series of important speeches and further unite and guide science and technology workers to compete in innovation pioneering while building China into a great power of science and technology, the State Council approved to designate May 30th as “National Science and Technology Workers’ Day”; Chinese science and technology workers have their own festival for the first time.

Approved by the Central Government, the National Innovation Pioneer Award was established. Chair Professor Liu Liang, President of Macau University of Science and Technology is awarded Certificate of Merits at the “Conference for Celebration of the National Science and Technology Workers Day and Conferment of the National Innovation Pioneer Award”. Following “National Natural Science Award”, “National Technology Invention Award” and “National Science and Technology Progress Award”, “National Innovation Pioneer Award” is another major science and technology award approved and initiated by China. It is an important part and supplement of the national science and technology award system, and effective link between the national science and technology awards and national major talent programs, which is a science and technology talent award second only to “Top Science and Technology Award of China”.

President Liu Liang at the conference in Beijing

The “National Innovation Pioneer Award” is set up in recognition of outstanding contributions to scientific research, technology development, major equipment and engineering research, commercialization and entrepreneurship, science popularization and social services made by outstanding science and technology workers and outstanding research teams with influences at home and abroad. More than 300 prominent representatives of various fields and disciplines, science and technology management experts and enterprise heads, including 157 academicians, are invited to serve as jury committee for “National Innovation Pioneer Award”. Appraisal process consists of online pre-trial, preliminary evaluation, re-evaluation, public announcement, verification and other aspects. Sixteen appraisal panels are set up to work in accordance with five categories: scientific research, technology development, major equipment and engineering research, commercialization and entrepreneurship, and science popularization and social services. Finally, through a total of 217 recommender channels, 1,343 outstanding science and technology workers and 227 research teams came out in the recommendation list; the selection generated 10 medal-winning teams, 28 medalists and 254 certificate holders.

President Liu Liang concurrently serves as Director of the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine (Partner Laboratory in Macau University of Science and Technology). He is Project Adviser for traditional medicine of World Health Organization and Convener of Working Group for Chinese Herbal Medicine and Member of the Technical Committee of ISO/TC249; he holds titles in many other governmental, societal and academic societies. He is an international renowned specialist in rheumatic arthritic immunology. He has been conducting clinical and basic research in treatment of rheumatic arthritic immune diseases; especially in developing new diagnosis methods of rheumatic diseases such as rheumatic arthritis, interpreting the effective mechanism of treating rheumatic immune diseases using Chinese Medicine, and developing novel anti-rheumatic arthritis drugs.

The “National Innovation Pioneer Award” is conferred every three years in recognition of contributions of ten research teams every time to be awarded with medals. At most 30 science and technology workers are awarded with medals, and no more than 300 science and technology workers are awarded with certificates of merits.

The award-conferment conference