Professor Vivian W W YAM Honoured with the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry 2025 Award

In celebration of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) has proudly announced the 12 recipients of the IUPAC 2025 Awards for Distinguished Women in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering. Among the esteemed awardees is our eminent chemist Professor Vivian Wing Wah YAM, Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Global Innovation Centre) (Interim) and Philip Wong Wilson Wong Professor in Chemistry and Energy at The University of Hong Kong (HKU).

Initiated in 2011 as part of the International Year of Chemistry, the IUPAC awards programme was designed to acknowledge and promote the significant contributions of women in the fields of chemistry and chemical engineering. Over the years, these awards have garnered increasing recognition within the global scientific community. The 2025 awardees were selected based on their excellence in basic or applied research, distinguished achievements in teaching or education, and demonstrated leadership or managerial excellence in the chemical sciences, with a strong emphasis on leadership and community service.

IUPAC expressed their admiration for the 2025 class of awardees, noting their exceptional research quality and dedication as educators, editors, and public servants. ‘IUPAC acknowledges the impressive contributions of all the nominees and congratulates the recipients of this year’s Awards. Their careers are inspiring to everyone, and we look forward eagerly to their continued success,’ the organisation stated.

A Trailblazer in Chemistry 
Professor Vivian Yam is the Chair Professor of Chemistry at HKU and a world-renowned chemist whose illustrious career has garnered numerous prestigious accolades. She was elected to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in 2001 at the remarkable age of 38, making her the youngest member of the CAS at that time. Her international recognition includes being a Foreign Associate (International Member) of the US National Academy of Sciences, a Fellow of the TWAS (The World Academy of Sciences), a Foreign Member of Academia Europaea, and a Founding Member of The Hong Kong Academy of Sciences.

In 2011, Professor YAM was honoured with the L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award, further solidifying her status as a leading figure in the field. Her impressive list of awards includes the Josef Michl ACS Award in Photochemistry, the Porter Medal, the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Centenary Medal, the Bailar Medal, the RSC Ludwig Mond Award, the State Natural Science Award, among many others.

Professor Yam's research spans a wide range of areas including inorganic and organometallic chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, photophysics, photochemistry, and molecular functional materials for sensing, optoelectronics, and energy research. Beyond her research and editorial roles, she has held numerous leadership positions, such as President of the International Organization for Chemical Sciences in Development (IOCD) and Vice-President of the Chinese Chemical Society.

Professor Yam's contributions to science and her numerous accolades reflect her status as a pioneering and influential figure in the global scientific community.

For a more comprehensive overview of Professor Yam’s remarkable accomplishments, please visit: https://chemistry.hku.hk/wwyam/

 

For additional details about IUPAC and the award, please visit here.