China honours Deakin Professors

Alfred Deakin Professor Xungai Wang and colleague Professor Ian Chen have won one of China’s most prestigious honours – being named in the fifth list of the “One Thousand Talents Program”.

Initiated in 2008 by the Chinese Government, the “One Thousand Talents Program” nominates each year only a number of the highest talents among experts working overseas.

The honour to Professor Wang comes about because of Deakin University’s research partnership with the Wuhan Textile University (WTU).

Professor Wang has also been invited to Honorary Director of WTU’s Textile School.

“This is a great honour for me and for Deakin,” Professor Wang said.

“It also provides great opportunities for Deakin and for WTU to continue our valuable research partnerships.

“I believe it will be base for the future success of the Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (ITRI) here at Deakin, and also the new and exciting Australian Future Fibre Research and Innovation Centre (AFFRIC) that was announced last year.

The Director of ITRI, Professor Peter Hodgson, congratulated Professor Wang on his latest achievement.

“Very few of these awards are made each year, so this is a fantastic result for Xungai and for Ian,” Professor Hodgson said.

“This is basically the Chinese equivalent of an Australian Laureate Fellowship.

“Xungai has been making a defining contribution to fibre research not just in Australia but around the world and this is further confirmation of his place as a world leader.

Ian’s position is with the Central Iron and Steel Research Institute in Beijing, another major research institute with which ITRI is very keen to work. 

The President of the WTU also congratulated Professor Wang.

“It is our desire to see the co-operation between the two universities expand in many more areas in the future,” said WTU President Wei Yiliang.

More information

• Professor Wang and AFFRIC
• Professor Chen