On the morning of July 8, 2026, the 2025 National Science and Technology Awards Conference was held in Beijing. Artem Oganov, a Russian expert at Northwestern Polytechnical University, received the 2025 China International Science and Technology Cooperation Award and was presented with the award certificate by Chinese President Xi Jinping. He is the first foreign expert affiliated with NPU to receive this distinction. The award is one of China’s major scientific and technological honors for foreign scientists, engineers, technical professionals, and international organizations that have made significant contributions to the country’s scientific and technological development and international cooperation.
On the morning of July 8, the 2025 National Science and Technology Awards Conference, the 22nd General Assembly of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the 18th General Assembly of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and the 11th National Congress of the China Association for Science and Technology convened at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. President Xi Jinping presents the award certificate to Artem Oganov. Photo by Xie Huanchi, (Xinhua News Agency)
Ding Xuexiang, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice-Premier of the State Council, meets with the foreign recipients of the 2025 China International Science and Technology Cooperation Award of the People’s Republic of China and presents medals to Professor Artem Oganov and other awardees.
Ding Xuexiang presents the medal to Artem Oganov.
Screenshot from CCTV News
Group photo of the award recipients.
Screenshot from CCTV News
Professor Artem Oganov is a world-leading scholar in material informatics and genetic engineering and advanced materials. He is a member of Academia Europaea, an Honorary Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a professor at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, and head of its Materials Discovery Laboratory. In 2006, Professor Oganov pioneered an evolutionary algorithm-based method for crystal structure prediction. His work has led to the discovery of a series of previously unknown materials that challenged conventional scientific understanding and produced major breakthroughs in high-pressure materials science. He has published more than 400 research papers in leading journals, including Nature and Science, significantly advancing interest and research in materials genome engineering throughout the materials science community.
Since establishing a partnership with NPU in 2009, Professor Oganov has remained deeply committed to China–Russia scientific and technological cooperation. He has developed transnational platforms for collaborative research and taken the initiative in establishing a multilevel, systematic framework for international cooperation. These efforts have gradually created an integrated platform encompassing academic exchange, scientific innovation, and talent development.
He has served as Director of the International Center for Materials Genome Research at NPU; Foreign Director of the International Joint Research Laboratory of the Ministry of Education; and Foreign Chair of the Academic Committee of the China–Kazakhstan Belt and Road Joint Laboratory for Materials Genome Engineering and Intelligent Science, among other positions. Through these roles, he has made a significant contribution to strengthening the international influence of NPU’s materials science discipline. Professor Oganov has provided dedicated guidance to NPU’s early-career faculty members and master’s and doctoral students. He has patiently helped younger researchers identify promising research directions and generously created opportunities for them to engage with the international academic community. His mentorship has helped cultivate a cohort of young research leaders with strong global competence and outstanding research capabilities. He has also actively served as a bridge between the Chinese and international academic communities. Drawing on his global academic standing, he has continuously facilitated connections between NPU and leading international research resources. His efforts have helped foster an open and inclusive environment for international innovation and have played a pivotal role in expanding the University’s global research network.
Professor Oganov received the Chinese Government Friendship Award in 2019. His receipt of the 2025 China International Science and Technology Cooperation Award represents further recognition of his longstanding commitment to NPU, his sustained contributions to collaborative research and innovation with China, and his dedication to the values and responsibilities of scientific endeavor.
(Text: Xinhua News Agency, CCTV News, Yang Hongli
Photos: Xie Huanchi, Huang Jingwen, and screenshots from CCTV News
Reviewers: Li Ziwei, Wang Hongqiang, Fu Yi
Translators: Yang Runze; Mei Leyun)
