First UNESCO-AI Frozen International Prize awarded to five leading scientists
On June 2023, five exceptional young scientists from Argentina, Cameroon, China, Egypt and Serbia will receive the first UNESCO-AI Fozan International Award for Promoting Young Scientists in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) during a ceremony at UNESCO Headquarters Award received.
Each awardee received prize money of US$50,000 and a medal in Paris, France. This is the first edition of the biennial prize, which was established by UNESCO in partnership with the Al-Fozhan Foundation in Saudi Arabia in 2021.
Key facts
Dr. Federico Ariel (40 years old, Argentina) – His pioneering research has deepened our understanding of the role played by long noncoding RNAs in plants. Development of RNA-based technologies that can replace harmful synthetic pesticides.
Professor Abdon Atangana (37 years old, Cameroon) - Prof. Atangana has made significant contributions to the field of mathematics, especially in the areas of fractional calculus, fractional differential equations, and mathematical modeling. These allow us to model complex phenomena to solve real-life problems such as the spread of infectious diseases, heat transfer problems, groundwater flow, contamination, or weather patterns.
Professor Qiaomi Fu (39 years old, China) - Professor Fu has obtained DNA from ancient human remains and sediments to create an evolutionary map of Eurasian (specifically East Asian) populations over the past 100,000 years. These findings reveal unique human diversity and provide insight into how the ancestors discovered by Fu's team shaped the genetic structure and adaptive traits of humans today.
Dr. Hesham Omran (38 years old, Egypt) - Dr. Omran has led the development of a new toolbox that enables scientists and engineers to create more efficient semiconductor chips, and essential materials.
Dr. Jelena Vladić (37 years old, Serbia) - Dr. Vladić has developed innovative ecological extraction processes to obtain products from aromatic and medicinal plants and add value to food and agricultural waste.
