Yan Ning became the eighth Chinese scientist to be named as a laureate of the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards in Paris on Tuesday local time.
Yan is a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a professor at Tsinghua University’s School of Life Sciences, the founding president of the Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation, and director of the Shenzhen Bay Laboratory.
Yan Ning (3rd R) and the four other winners of the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards pose for a photo at the awards ceremony in Paris on Tuesday. Shennzhen Satellite TV
Wearing a green traditional Chinese dress, Yan accepted the honor and delivered a heartfelt speech emphasizing the importance of courage and authenticity, especially for aspiring female scientists, at the award ceremony held at UNESCO’s headquarters.
“This honor not only recognizes my personal efforts but is also worth celebrating for those who have supported and inspired me along the way,” she said. Addressing girls watching the ceremony, she added, “The path to becoming a female scientist may be full of challenges, but it is not enough to stop your steps forward. So, be brave, be yourself!”
The L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards, established by the L’Oréal Corporate Foundation and UNESCO in 1998, aims to improve the position of women in science by recognizing outstanding women researchers who have contributed to scientific progress in life sciences or physical sciences, mathematics, and computer science. Each year, the award recognizes one woman from each of the world’s five broad regions: Asia and the Pacific, Africa and the Arab States, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, and North America.
This year’s winners were selected from 350 candidates worldwide by an independent jury chaired by Professor Brigitte L. Kieffer, research director at the Inserm Research Institute, member of the French Academy of Sciences, and past laureate of the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards.
In an interview, Yan described her current state as “free and easy.” She praised the Shenzhen government for its support, noting that they help solve problems without causing unnecessary interference.
From: Shenzhen Daily
Editor: Winston
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