Beijing, April 28, 2024 – In the middle of spring, Yang and Fang Qi. The 19th China Young Women Scientist Award, jointly organized by the All-China Women's Federation, the China Association for Science and Technology, the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO and L'Oréal China, was held on April 28 at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. 20 people including Wang Hongxia and 5 teams including the overall design and verification team of large bypass ratio turbofan engines won the individual award and team award respectively, and 10 people including Ding Wenna were selected for the 8th Future Women Scientists Program. After 19 years, the award not only shines in the top scientific palace with women's wisdom, but also records the style of women blooming on the stage of the times, helping the "she power" of science to shine from generation to generation.
Chen Yiqin, State Councilor and President of the All-China Women's Federation, Huang Xiaowei, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group, Vice Chairman and First Secretary of the Secretariat of the All-China Women's Federation, He Junke, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group, Vice Chairman in charge of Daily Work and First Secretary of the Secretariat of the China Association for Science and Technology, Wang Jinjin, Member of the Party Group and Secretary of the Secretariat of the China Association for Science and Technology, Qin Changwei, Secretary-General of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, and Bo Wanshang, President of L'Oréal North Asia and CEO of L'Oréal China, attended the award ceremony and presented awards to the winning female scientists. Feng Ling, member of the party group, vice chairman and secretary of the Secretariat of the All-China Women's Federation, presided over the award ceremony.
Group photo of the winners of the 19th China Young Women in Science Award Individual Award, Team Award, and Future Women Scientist Program
Walk with the times to boost the "women's cause" from generation to generation
As an extension of the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science programme in China, the Young Women in China Award was launched in 2004 by the four partners and has become a national award for women scientists and technicians. Over the past 19 years, with more and more outstanding female scientists blooming, the award has continued to expand the scale of recognition, from 5 individual awards per session to 20 now, which has played a major role in cultivating, discovering and recommending outstanding female scientific and technological workers, and playing a new era hymn for the "she power" that grows in the field of scientific research.
This year, the number of nominated candidates and teams reached a new high, reaching nearly 1,300, an increase of more than 30% compared to the previous year. The winners are not only widely distributed in the eastern, northeastern, central and western regions, but also maintain a basic balance in various disciplines. They are oriented to the major needs of the country and forge ahead, such as Chen Siyu, a professor at Lanzhou University who has expanded the sand mechanism around the complex feedback of sand and dust aerosols and weather and climate, and Chen Ting, a researcher at the Beijing Institute of Biological Sciences, who has revealed the symmetrical culprit of vitiligo. In addition, they are also facing the main battlefield of the economy, riding the wind and waves in the blue ocean of scientific research such as big data and new energy, facing the world's frontier of science and technology, bravely entering the "no man's land" in the fields of information network and intelligent control.
So far, a total of 204 female researchers have won individual awards. Among them, 13 have been elected as academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and among the 6 women newly elected as academicians in 2023, 4 people, including Li Hui, Yan Ning, Duan Huiling, and Chen Chunying, have won awards, demonstrating the authority and influence of the awards. In addition, the award also carries an international platform to support China's wisdom on the global stage, and uses science as a link to build a bridge for international exchanges. Among the previous winners, 7 have won the "World Outstanding Women Scientist Achievement Award", and with the support of the award, they are open to communication with top scholars around the world.
She hopes that the majority of female scientists will keep in mind the entrustment of General Secretary Xi Jinping, carry forward the spirit of scientists, bravely climb the peak of science and technology with the pride and efforts of women, and be determined to serve the country with science and technology, and play their own advantages and positive role in achieving high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-reliance, developing new quality productive forces, and promoting high-quality development, so as to contribute to the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation with Chinese-style modernization.
L'Oréal North Asia President and CEO of L'Oréal China, Mr. Bowanchan, attended the event
Passing on the torch from generation to generation, continuing the "female team" from generation to generation
Looking back on the 20 years since the establishment of the award, not only has a series of policies such as the "Science and Technology Innovation Women's Action" been vigorously promoted, but the previous winners have also continued to contribute proposals around a more inclusive scientific research environment as representatives of the two sessions. This year, the age limit for female researchers to apply for the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars has been further relaxed from 45 to 48 years old. With the joint efforts of all sectors of society, female scientific and technological workers currently account for about 45.8%, and they shine on the unprecedented scientific research stage and become an indispensable "half of the sky".
Helping to inherit the spirit of scientific research and take over the "baton" of science has been the original intention of the award since its establishment. In 2014, the "Future Women Scientists" program was established and recognized for the first time, which is committed to discovering and cultivating female scientists and technologists who are in the doctoral or postdoctoral research stage and have strong scientific research capabilities and development potential. In 2022, the number of candidates for the programme will be increased from 5 to 10 to further support the development of scientific research talents. This year's winners are further highlighted by the trend of younger people, all of whom are composed of "post-90s", including many "post-95" talents.
In addition to the intergenerational relay, the award also focuses on the increasingly prominent leadership of female researchers. According to Portraits of Chinese Researchers from a Gender Perspective, the "circle of friends" of female researchers is larger, and the size of women-led research teams is larger than that of men. In 2019, five new team awards were added to the award, commending the scientific research team led by women and whose main members include women, highlighting the interdisciplinary female scientific research talents and their leadership.
He Junke, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group of the China Association for Science and Technology, Vice Chairman in charge of daily work, and First Secretary of the Secretariat, said: "Since the new era, the majority of female scientific and technological workers have bravely climbed the world's scientific and technological peaks with the pride and perseverance of women, and have made a large number of world-renowned scientific and technological achievements, and a large number of high-level scientific and technological leaders and innovative teams have emerged. In particular, the majority of young female scientific and technological workers represented by the winners of this time, from the laboratory to the field, from basic research to the front line of engineering, from enterprises and institutes to universities and hospitals, flashing their wisdom and hard work everywhere, showing the bright demeanor and pioneer power of new women in the new era. ”
The spark ignites the prairie and achieves the "scientific spirit" from generation to generation
The "14th Five-Year Plan for the Popularization and Development of Science and Technology" points out that it is necessary to promote the coordinated development of science popularization and scientific and technological innovation, and continue to improve the scientific quality of citizens. Together with past laureates and ecosystem partners, L'Oréal is committed to inspiring more people with the spirit of science and the power of women through multiple forms, so that the "power of women" can continue to spread like ripples, and shine from generation to generation.
"Are scientists smart?" and "Are girls suitable for science?" ...... This is a question asked by secondary school girls to female scientists in L'Oréal's "Technology Girls Empowerment Program". This year, L'Oréal launched the "Empowerment Program for Girls in Science and Technology", which has launched the first round of activities in Gansu and Beijing through campus lectures, recording public science courseware, and visiting the scientific research working environment. The in-depth face-to-face communication with female scientists not only planted the seeds of science in their hearts, but also inspired them to walk towards the light for a long time with their curiosity about the unknown and their persistence in love. At the award ceremony, the "Science and Technology Girls Empowerment Program" also specially invited science and technology girls from Beijing and Shanghai to watch the ceremony, interact with the representatives of the award-winning female scientists, and jointly record a public welfare video.
In conjunction with the national media, L'Oréal also shared the achievements of female scientists, so that the "hardcore" popular science content successfully "out of the circle", fully demonstrating the charm of science and promoting the improvement of scientific literacy of the whole people. In addition, "one generation shines next", "the color that best describes oneself...... L'Oréal collaborated with a new media platform to share the stories of scientists through multiple perspectives, vividly presenting their joy of inspiration, perseverance and courage to step into the unknown. These stories not only show the outstanding achievements of female scientists in the field of scientific research, but also present their three-dimensional image and femininity outside of work, inspiring more women to realize themselves, pursue their dreams, and create a better life. As a responsible corporate citizen, in addition to supporting women in scientific research, L'Oréal also launched the "L'Oréal for Women" women's empowerment program in 2022, hoping to support women at different stages of life, in different social roles and with different growth needs by joining hands with its brands and all sectors of society.
L'Oréal North Asia President and CEO of L'Oréal China, Jean Bowanchamp, said: "It is a great pleasure to see the 19th edition of the Awards. As L'Oréal celebrates its 115th anniversary this year, we will continue to preserve our scientific DNA and empower all women, including women researchers and girls aspiring to study science, with the power of beauty to move the world. We believe that the world will become more diverse and better because of women's participation, not just for women, but for us, and for everyone. ”
L'Oréal North Asia President and CEO of L'Oréal China, Mr. Bowanshan, delivered a speech
The world needs science, and science needs women. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the "China Young Women Scientist Award", L'Oréal China will continue to work with partners to inherit the original intention of the award and support "She Power" to shine brightly in the field of scientific research.