Mok Sau-King Professorship Bestowed Upon Professor Guochun Zhao

The Faculty of Science is proud to announce that Professor Guochun Zhao from the Department of Earth Sciences has been appointed as the Mok Sau-King Professor, one of the most significant awards bestowed upon eminent academics within the University to support their academic and research activities. 

Professor Zhao is an internationally recognised geologist who specialises in early earth sciences. His main research fields include metamorphic petrology, Precambrian geology, and the study of supercontinents. His remarkable contributions to the field are evidenced by the publication of over 450 scientific papers, which have garnered more than 73,000 citations. His extensive research and ground-breaking discoveries have earned him numerous prestigious accolades and honours.

In 2019, Professor Zhao was elected as the Chinese Academy of Sciences academician. In 2021, he became a fellow of the World Academy of Sciences for the Advancement of Science in Developing Countries, and in 2023, he was inducted as a member of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences. According to the 2024 Best Scientists Rankings by Research.com, Professor Zhao is ranked 8^th in the world and 1^st in China in earth sciences.

His other outstanding achievements in geosciences include the State Natural Science Award (Second Class; First Awardee; 2014), the Fellow of the Geological Society of America (2014), the Highly Cited Researcher Award of Clarivate Analytics (2014-2023), the Outstanding Researcher Award of The University of Hong Kong (2016), the 29^th Khwarizmi International Award (First Class; 2016), and the TWAS Prize in Earth, Astronomy, Space Sciences from The World Academy of Science (2018) and the Distinguished Research Achievement Award of HKU (2021).

Professor Zhao obtained his BSc and MSc degrees from Changchun University of Earth Sciences (now merged into Jilin University) in 1985 and 1988, respectively, and his PhD from Curtin University, Australia, in 2000. He is currently a Chair Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at The University of Hong Kong and a Changjiang Scholar Professor (short-term) in the Department of Geology at Northwest University (Xi’an). He also serves as the director of the NWU-HKU Joint Center for Earth and Planetary Sciences.

As a distinguished academic, Professor Zhao's contributions have significantly impacted the field of earth sciences, and his appointment as the Mok Sau-King Professor is a testament to his exceptional achievements and dedication to advancing scientific knowledge.