On March 3, Professor Zeng Jie, Deputy Secretary of the AHUT CPC Party Committee and President, was named a recipient of the fourth Qingshan Science Prize, one of China’s most distinguished accolades for early-career scientists.

A PhD holder and full professor, Zeng Jie is a National Distinguished Young Scholar, Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), and lead scientist of China’s National Key R&D Program. His pioneering research focuses on CO₂ catalytic conversion technology, with breakthroughs recognized in national exhibitions such as the "13th Five-Year Plan" Sci-Tech Innovation Achievements and selected as one of China’s "Top 10 Science News of 2022."

Professor Zeng’s groundbreaking work has unveiled reaction mechanisms for CO₂ conversion at atomic and molecular levels. He proposed the innovative "dynamic confinement" catalyst design concept, enabling the development of highly stable catalysts. His team further pioneered an electro-bio coupled catalytic process to synthesize food molecules like glucose and fatty acids directly from CO₂ and water.

Established to advance research in materials science, chemistry, environmental science, and energy technology, the Qingshan Science Prize supports scientists under 45 working full-time in mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau. Awarded annually to no more than 10 recipients, it provides 1 million yuan per laureate, disbursed over three years.