TAIPEI, June 22,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The prestigious 2024 Tang Prize
Laureates have been announced, recognizing outstanding
contributions in various fields. The Tang Prize in
Sustainable Development is awarded to American chemist Omar M. Yaghi. In the field of Biopharmaceutical
Science, the prize is jointly awarded to Joel F. Habener, Svetlana Mojsov, and
Jens Juul Holst. University
Professor Emeritus Hsu Cho-yun of
the University of Pittsburgh and
Academician of Academia Sinica is honored with the Tang Prize in
Sinology. Mary Robinson, a former
lawyer and senator, former president of Ireland, former United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights, and current Chair of The Elders, is
awarded the Tang Prize in Rule of Law. These six distinguished
laureates will be formally honored at an upcoming ceremony to be
held in Taiwan this September.
The Tang Prize in Sustainable Development is awarded to
Omar M. Yaghi, for his extraordinary
contributions to sustainable development, particularly his
pioneering work with Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) and other
ultra-porous frameworks that can be tailored for carbon capture,
hydrogen and methane storage, and water harvesting from desert air.
His research has revolutionized the field of chemistry and
materials science, offering transformative solutions for
sustainable development through the creation of customizable
materials with exceptional properties.
As a pioneer of MOFs and COFs, Professor Yaghi is the first
scientist to apply these innovative materials to the field of
sustainable development, demonstrating tangible and impressive
results. Professor Yaghi has introduced a new method for
controlling four of the smallest gas molecules in the atmosphere
that significantly impact our planet's sustainable development:
carbon dioxide, hydrogen, methane, and water. This was made
possible through his pioneering development of a new field of
chemistry known as reticular chemistry. Reticular chemistry is a
new approach to creating materials by linking organic and inorganic
units into strong, porous crystalline structures called
metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and covalent organic frameworks
(COFs). Professor Yaghi demonstrated how these novel framework
materials can trap, concentrate, and manipulate hydrogen, methane,
carbon dioxide, and water from the air, offering innovative
solutions to pressing issues related to the United Nations'
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including energy,
environment, and water resources.
Professor Joel F. Habener,
Professor Svetlana Mojsov, and
Professor Jens Juul Holst have been jointly awarded the Tang
Prize in Biopharmaceutical Science, for the discovery of GLP-1
(7-37) as an insulinotropic factor and the development of GLP-1
(7-37)-based anti-diabetic and anti-obesity drugs.
Of the 8 billion people in the world today, as many as 500
million have diabetes, and nearly 1 billion are obese. The two
diseases lead to many severe complications, resulting in a heavy
medical burden for both the individual and society. Fortunately,
GLP-1-based therapeutics have recently become blockbuster drugs to
treat obesity and diabetes. The research of the three laureates
began in the 1980s, starting from identifying GLP-1 and its active
form GLP-1 (7-37), and leading to its application as an
anti-diabetic strategy. Their work exemplifies the translation of
groundbreaking basic research into pharmaceutical success with
major impacts on human health. At present, there are at least 13
GLP-1 RA (GLP-1 receptor agonists) drugs approved by the FDA for
treating diabetes and obesity, benefiting hundreds of millions of
users with prospects of even greater benefits in the future. In
addition, an emerging oral drug called DPP-4 inhibitors is also
widely used in clinics. It blocks the degradation of GLP-1 (7-37)
by DPP-4 in the body, thereby prolonging the function of GLP-1
(7-37) in promoting insulin secretion and lowering blood sugar.
University Professor Emeritus Hsu
Cho-yun is awarded the Tang Prize in Sinology for his
exceptional contributions to the field of Sinology. Professor Hsu's
illustrious academic career has been distinguished by his holistic
approach to the study of ancient Chinese history, seamlessly
integrating an exploration of cultural and intellectual exchanges
between China and the world. With
his profound erudition and unwavering public spirit, Professor Hsu
embodies the quintessential Sinologist, possessing both a deep
historical sensibility and a broad, worldly vision.
Professor Hsu integrated methodologies drawn from social
sciences into historical research early in his career. His work
reflects historical insights that take one to look into the bygone
ages and the present and future, embodying a blend of antiquity and
modernity. He has proven that Sinology is not limited to the
institutional dialogues of the past, but can transcend the ivory
tower of academia to engage in dialogues with various fields of
humanities and social sciences, making a fundamental impact on
Sinology. He specializes in particular topics of the Zhou, Qin, and
Han periods, achieving unique insights that contribute to a
comprehensive interpretation of the history of early China. Notable examples include his
exploration of the Huaxia consciousness among kinship groups
in his monograph Western Chou Civilization, the
central/local and political/social bureaucratic system in Qiugu
Bian [Discovering Antiquity], and the intensive
rural/commercial market economy in Han Agriculture. These
discourses form what he calls "the three matrixes of Chinese
culture."
The Tang Prize in Rule of Law is awarded to Professor
Mary Robinson, for her "powerful
advocacy for the most disadvantaged in different spheres, including
gender equality, poverty alleviation, human rights, and climate
justice." In particular, the Selection Committee noted that her
"passionate endeavors demonstrated an effective combination of
legal acumen and practical solutions." The Committee also noted
that "from the national to the global stage, legal and political,
she has innovatively transformed and expanded the various positions
in which she has served to strengthen the rule of law."
All the positions served by Professor Robinson have demonstrated
how her career paths over decades have ranged from legal to
political realms and covered domestic and international levels.
Over the years, she has been active in promoting the rule of law in
different spheres. The evolution of her roles, from litigator to
national leader to finally global voice, has expanded her focus
from national and regional law to international law, as well as
from civil and human rights to global justice. She seamlessly
combines a lawyer's meticulous attention to legal detail, a
legislator's pursuit of practical solutions, and a human rights
advocate's fervor for justice. Her impacts transcend
boundaries.
About the Tang Prize
Since the advent of globalization, mankind has been able to
enjoy the convenience brought forth by the advancement of human
civilization and science. Yet a multitude of challenges, such as
climate change, the emergence of new infectious diseases, wealth
gap, and moral degradation, have surfaced along the way. Against
this backdrop, Dr. Samuel Yin
established the Tang Prize in December
2012. It consists of four award categories, namely
Sustainable Development, Biopharmaceutical Science, Sinology, and
Rule of Law. Every other year, four independent and professional
selection committees, comprising many internationally renowned
experts, scholars, and Nobel winners, choose as Tang Prize
laureates people who have influenced and made substantive
contributions to the world, regardless of ethnicity, nationality or
gender. A cash prize of NT$50 million
(approx. US$1.7 million) is allocated
to each category, with NT$10 million
(approx. US$ 0.35 million) of it
being a research grant intended to encourage professionals in every
field to examine mankind's most urgent needs in the 21st century,
and become leading forces in the development of human society
through their outstanding research outcomes and active civic
engagement.
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SOURCE Tang Prize Foundation