TWO distinguished scientists from China and the United States have been named laureates of the prestigious UNESCO‑Russia Mendeleev International Prize in the Basic Sciences, and will receive their awards at a ceremony in Paris, France, this Friday.

Professor Pan Jianwei of China and Professor Sergei S. Sheiko of the United States are the recipients of the third edition of the prize, according to an announcement from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

“Basic sciences are the bedrock of everything we know; they are a common language, enabling international research cooperation and dialogue across disciplines and countries,” said UNESCO Director‑General Khaled El‑Enany. “At a time of division or turbulence, they provide a sense of unity and help create further opportunities for new discoveries for the people.”

Pan is a world-leading expert in quantum optics, quantum communications and quantum computation. He is a professor at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. UNESCO recognized him for his seminal contributions to large‑scale secure quantum communications and scalable quantum computation.

His team developed the Micius quantum science experiment satellite in 2016, enabling quantum key distribution and quantum teleportation over thousands of kilometers, and has demonstrated quantum computational advantage, bringing the prospect of a global quantum network from theory to reality.

Established in 2019, the UNESCO-Russia Mendeleev International Prize in the Basic Sciences fosters scientific progress, science popularization and international cooperation. It honors the legacy of Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev, whose work laid the foundations of modern chemistry, physics and beyond. The prize is awarded annually to two individuals for breakthrough discoveries or outstanding innovations with transformative socio-economic impact, upon the recommendation of an international jury of seven eminent scientists.(SD-Agencies)