Laureates of the Prize
This Prize gives recognition to the achievements of young people that are conducive to socio-economic transformation and development on a global scale. Its purpose is to encourage youth participation in STEM, in particular women and girls, so as to promote gender equality, scientific literacy and the choice of a scientific career. It is awarded every two years to five laureates from the five geographic regions of UNESCO (Africa, Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, Europe and North America and Latin America and the Caribbean).
2023
First edition
Dr Federico ARIEL
Argentina
Dr Ariel’s pioneering research has deepened our understanding of the role that long noncoding RNA plays in plants. In much the same way that the emergence of RNA-based vaccines proved a life-saver during the recent pandemic, the development of RNA-based technologies that can replace harmful synthetic pesticides will ensure a safer environment for humans and nature.
To advance his work, Dr Ariel has established his own startup, APOLO Biotech, with the backing of the National Research Council (CONICET) in Argentina, where he is a group leader.
Prof. Abdon ATANGANA
Cameroon
Prof. Atangana has made significant contributions to the field of mathematics, particularly in the areas of fractional calculus, fractional differential equations, and mathematical modelling. These allow us to model complex phenomena to solve real-life problems such as the spread of infectious diseases, heat transfer problems, groundwater flow and contamination or weather patterns.
Abdon Atangana is a Professor at the University of the Free State in in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
Prof. Qiaomei FU
China
Prof. Fu has retrieved DNA from ancient human remains and sediments to construct an evolutionary map of Eurasian (especially East Asian) populations over the past 100,000 years. These findings reveal unique human diversity and provide insights into how the ancestries discovered by Fu’s team shaped the genetic makeup and adaptive traits of humans today.
Prof. Fu is a palaeogeneticist at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing.
Dr Hesham OMRAN
Egypt
Dr Omran has led the development of a novel toolbox which enables scientists and engineers to create more efficient semiconductor chips, essential ingredients in today’s electronic devices including computers, mobile phones, medical devices, and electric vehicles. What used to take days or weeks of manual work can now be accomplished in just minutes.
Dr Omran is an Associate Professor at Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. He is also a co-founder of Master Micro, a startup based in Egypt that addresses challenges related to automating the design of electronics.
Dr Jelena VLADIC
Serbia
Dr Vladic has developed innovative ecological extraction processes to obtain products from aromatic and medicinal plants and add value to food and agricultural waste. Moreover, she has used microalgae from wastewater treatment to extract bioactive compounds. Jelena Vladic's breakthrough research has discovered that a green solvent called subcritical water can effectively purify microalgae biomass derived from wastewater treatment.
Dr Vladic is a former faculty member of the Technology University of Novi Sad, Serbia, and currently affiliated to the NOVA School of Science and Technology of NOVA University in Lisbon, Portugal.
