PARIS - Cheng Lijing, a researcher at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was awarded the UNESCO-Al Fozan Prize for the Promotion of Young Scientists in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in Paris on Friday.
According to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Chinese scientist was recognized for "his contributions to providing scientific evidence for marine climate change as a critical basis for risk assessment, climate change adaptation and mitigation."
Cheng's work includes developing ocean data processing techniques and datasets, studying historical ocean heat content, salinity and oxygen changes, and investigations of our planet's energy budget and water cycle.
He leads global researchers in improving ocean data quality, constructing high-quality gridded datasets, understanding of how the ocean responds to climate change, studying the associated risks to support Sustainable Development Goals, and informing policy decisions worldwide relative to climate adaptation and mitigation.
"I am very pleased to receive this honor. Ocean climate change is a relatively niche discipline, and I hope this award will help draw more attention to the field. In the future, I look forward to making more contributions, advancing ocean climate research, and supporting climate governance," Cheng told Xinhua.
This biennial prize was established by the UNESCO in 2021 in partnership with the Al Fozan Foundation in Saudi Arabia to recognize five exceptional researchers, representing each of the following regions: Africa, Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America and Latin America and the Caribbean.
Announced during a ceremony at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, the award aims to advance and popularize science, foster international collaboration, and support young scientists, particularly in countries where science and technology are still developing.
This year, four other laureates from Cyprus, Morocco, Namibia and Peru were also honored for their significant contributions to advancing science and education in diverse fields, ranging from empowering youth with hands-on skills in coding, robotics and STEM education, to developing pioneering breast cancer risk prediction tools, and promoting biodiversity conservation.
