Dedication, perseverance, innovation celebrated as China honors outstanding sci-tech workers

A group of outstanding science and technology workers underscored the importance of dedication, perseverance and innovation on May 30 as China marked its 10th annual National Science and Technology Workers Day.

An event honoring China's science and technology workers in Beijing, May 30, 2026. [Photo by Yuan Fang/China.org.cn]

At the flagship celebratory event in Beijing, academician Tang Zhiyong, director of the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, was presented with the National Award for Excellence in Innovation. 

Recognized for his two-decade devotion to nano-assembly, Tang said: "There are no shortcuts in scientific innovation; only those who can endure the loneliness of long-term research can crack the hardest scientific nuts."

He also emphasized that researchers must look beyond "polished papers" and address pressing national needs, having personally led his team to leverage original technologies in support of China's green transition.

Echoing this sentiment was Wang Ertao, a plant scientist also being honored for his years of dedicated and innovative research that has yielded groundbreaking agricultural discoveries. "Our basic research enables agriculture to efficiently leverage plant-microbe symbiosis," Wang explained. "By reducing fertilizer use, it cuts agricultural non-point source pollution while securing stable, higher crop yields."

Wang stressed that basic research is the fundamental ignition switch for technological innovation. "Only by remaining dedicated to our initial aspirations and making sustained, long-term efforts can we translate scientific achievements into actual efficacy that serves national development," he said.

The spirit of long-term dedication was also highlighted by the team from the State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, which has participated in major national deep-space exploration projects including the Chang'e and Tianwen missions. 

Sharing the honors at the event, Zong Qiugang, the team leader, remarked: "Lunar and deep-space science possess tremendous potential. I hope more young people will dedicate themselves to this field, embrace the mission of our era and help propel China's astronomy and planetary sciences to the global forefront."

As 2026 kicks off China's 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) — a critical milestone in the country's drive to build up strength in science and technology — attendees also voiced a shared commitment to aligning foundational research with strategic national goals.

Zhang Chengliang, a fellow recipient of the National Award for Excellence in Innovation and director of the China Telecom Research Institute, shared his plans for the future: "I will closely align my work with the strategic deployment of the 15th Five-Year Plan, deepening research in optical communications, as well as 5G and 6G technologies."

"Moving forward, we will tackle key challenges in building all-optical network infrastructure, empower network operations with AI and optimize cloud-network computing layout," he added. "This will help meet the network demands of emerging scenarios like embodied AI robots and intelligent driving."

Huang Guiyun, deputy director of the Yangtze Biodiversity Research Center at China Three Gorges Corporation, was named as one of the 10 National Role Model Science and Technology Workers for 2026 ahead of the National Science and Technology Workers Day.

Having dedicated her career to protecting rare plants in the Yangtze River region, Huang outlined her steps going forward: "I will continue our work to construct the Yangtze River basin germplasm resource bank and conduct key research on seed preservation technologies. At the same time, I aim to make innovations in popular science communication, bring rare plants closer to young people to let them feel the beauty of science and boost their interest in scientific research."

With a similar dedication to ecological preservation, 76-year-old Kong Nanhai, a professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, was also recognized as a National Role Model Science and Technology Worker this year for his lifelong commitment to protecting Erhai Lake, the second-largest freshwater lake in Yunnan province. 

"Moving forward, we will continue to conduct water quality and ecological monitoring of Erhai Lake to accumulate research data for its integrated governance," Kong said. "Meanwhile, we will drive applied basic research in environmental science and scale up the ecological farming of sea-flowering cabbage to help boost incomes for local households."

China designated May 30 as National Science and Technology Workers Day in 2016, establishing the event as a major initiative in its ongoing drive to build global strength in science and technology.