Dr. YANG Xiaoping, desert researcher with the Institute of Geology and Geophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IGGCAS) was presented Humboldt Research Award, one of Germany's top research awards this Thursday. He is one of the few geologists who have won the award. 

YANG won the award for his remarkable achievements on dynamic process and interaction of water and sand in arid areas, and research on environmental evolution and human activity of arid areas, according to the Humboldt Foundation that supports the award. 

Dr. YANG has been dedicated to desert research and acclaimed an outstanding geoscientist in international academic world. He was one of the two Chinese recipients of this year’s Humboldt Research Award. The other one is Dr. WU Yundong, president of Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School and member of the CAS. 

YANG graduated from Georg-August-University of Göttingen with a doctor’s degree in 1992 and was selected in “Hundred Talent Program” of CAS six years later. He won the Outstanding Young Investigator Award in 2004 and HUANG Jiqing Geological Science and Technology Award in 2008. In the year of 2010, he became the first Chinese to receive Farouk El-Baz Award for Desert Research. 

He was also the associate editor of geoscience magazine QSR, and vice president of the IAG (International Association of Geomorphologists). 

Humboldt Research Award is an award given by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. It was funded in 1972 in Germany in recognition of international renowned scientists and scholars for their new discoveries, theories, or insights with a significant impact on their own discipline and who are expected to continue producing cutting-edge achievements in the future. 

There are altogether 29 scientists who have won this year’s award. The award is valued at 60,000 EUR. 

Dr. YANG Xiaoping was presented the Humboldt Research Award (Image by IGGCAS)

(Editor: CHEN Na, CAS)