On 13 December 2008, winners and runners up of the 2008 ASAIHL-Scopus
Young Scientist Awards were formally announced and honored in a
Ceremony held at the Dewan Budaya Hall of the Universiti Sains
Malaysia, in Penang, Malaysia. Earlier in the day, a press conference
was held to announce the winners and was attended by local and regional
media. The press conference and awarding ceremony were the major
highlights of the ASAIHL 28th General Conference that ran from 12-14
December 2008.
There were four winners and 11 runners up in the award categories of
Agricultural Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Life Sciences and
Medicine – all prominent young scholars in Asia-Pacific. In attendance
during the ceremony are the four winners and five runners up from
across the award categories. The top candidates for each category where
selected from a large number of competitive applications from 69
universities in 12 countries in Asia Pacific.
Leading the awards organizing team during the event were
Professor Peter Haddawy, Vice President for Academic Affairs of the
Asian Institute of Technology, and Mr. Lee Inn Beng of Elsevier Asia
Pacific. In his introduction of the concept and efforts behind the
awards, Prof. Haddawy underscored the essence of research, which is to
benefit society.
There were four winners and 11 runners up in the award categories of
Agricultural Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Life Sciences and
Medicine – all prominent young scholars in Asia-Pacific. In attendance
during the ceremony are the four winners and five runners up from
across the award categories. The top candidates for each category where
selected from a large number of competitive applications from 69
universities in 12 countries in Asia Pacific.
Each award category was represented by an international representative
panelist – Prof. Yaakob Bin Che Man for Agricultural Sciences, Prof.
Hanafi Ismail for Engineering and Technology, Professor Lourdes Cruz
for Life Sciences, and Prof. Fan Sheung Tat for Medicine. The panelists
also introduced the winners and provided a brief background of their
career summary and research achievements.
The complete names of winners and runners up:
Agriculture Science
Winner: Dr. Yanzheng Gao, Nanjing Agricultural University
(China)
First Runner up: Dr. Sonthaya Tiawsirisup, Chulalongkorn
University (Thailand)
Runner up: Dr. Alexander Chong Shu Chien, Universiti Sains Malaysia
(Malaysia)
Engineering and Technology
Winner: Prof. Chi-Chang Hu, National Tsing Hua University
(Taiwan)
First Runner up: Dr. Chi Fai Cheung, Benny, Hong Kong Polytechnic
University (Hong Kong)
Runner up: Dr. Nam-Trung Nguyen, Nanyang Technological University
(Singapore)
Dr. Chien-Hsien Chiu, National Taiwan University (Taiwan)
Dr. Narongrit Sombatsompop, King Mongkut’s University of
Technology, Thonburi (Thailand)
Life Sciences
Winner: Dr. Kuo-I Lin, Academia Sinica (Taiwan)
First Runner up: Dr. Jun Xia, Hong Kong University of Science and
Technology
Runner up: Dr. Shao Qin Yao, National University of Singapore
(Singapore)
Dr. Gavin Smith, The University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
Medicine
Winner: Prof. Man-Fung Yuen, The University of Hong
Kong (Hong Kong)
First Runner up: Dr. Henry Lik-Yuen Chan, The Chinese University of
Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
Runner: Dr. Visith Thonboonkerd, Mahidol University
(Thailand)
For more on the research and career profiles of the winners
and runners up, please visit www.asaihl.asia or email the
ASAIHL International Office at [email protected].
