CORE Academy warmly congratulates Professor Artem R. Oganov, Fellow of the Academy in the Division of Natural Sciences and Member of its Academic Council, on receiving the 2025 International Science and Technology Cooperation Award of the People’s Republic of China.
The award was presented at the National Science and Technology Awards Conference held in Beijing on 8 July 2026. Professor Oganov was among nine international scientists recognized this year and received his award certificate from Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The International Science and Technology Cooperation Award is a major national honor conferred upon foreign scientists, engineers, and international organizations that have made outstanding contributions to China’s scientific and technological development, international research cooperation, and the cultivation of scientific talent.
Professor Oganov is a Distinguished Professor at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology and Head of the USPEX Materials Discovery Laboratory. He is a Member of Academia Europaea, a Fellow of the American Physical Society, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. He is internationally recognized as one of the leading scientists in crystal structure prediction, computational materials discovery, high-pressure chemistry, and the study of matter under extreme conditions.
His most influential scientific contribution is the development of USPEX, a computational method that combines evolutionary algorithms with first-principles calculations to predict stable crystal structures and materials from their chemical composition. Now used by more than 10,000 researchers worldwide, USPEX has helped move materials discovery beyond traditional trial-and-error approaches toward a model integrating computational prediction, targeted screening, and experimental verification.
Professor Oganov’s research has contributed to the discovery and understanding of superhard materials, unconventional high-pressure compounds, novel carbon structures, superconducting hydrides, and minerals found deep within the Earth and other planets. His work has expanded scientific understanding of chemical stability, material behavior, and the structure of matter under extreme conditions.
He has maintained close scientific cooperation with China for more than a decade. In 2017, he established the International Center for Materials Discovery at Northwestern Polytechnical University, where he has promoted joint research in crystal structure prediction, materials genome engineering, high-pressure materials, and computational materials science. He has also made sustained contributions to the training of young faculty members, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate students. In 2019, he received the Chinese Government Friendship Award.
Professor Oganov was elected a Fellow of CORE Academy in 2024 and appointed to the Academy's Academic Council in 2025. He has since contributed to the Academy’s academic development and Fellowship community.
His engagement with CORE Academy extends beyond formal academic service. During a visit to the CORE Scientific Center in Xinjiang in 2024, he delivered an address entitled Reflections on Science and Life, sharing his thoughts on scientific discovery, intellectual freedom, perseverance, and the responsibilities of scholars.
Professor Oganov is also one of the core initiators and academic supporters of the International Eurasian Laboratory initiative. Through this initiative, he has contributed to the Academy’s efforts to strengthen scientific cooperation among researchers and institutions across China, Russia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the wider Eurasian region.
The International Science and Technology Cooperation Award recognizes not only Professor Oganov’s outstanding scientific achievements, but also his longstanding commitment to building research partnerships, supporting younger generations of scientists, and advancing cooperation between China and the international scientific community.
The Academy extends its warmest congratulations to him on this distinguished honor and looks forward to continuing its collaboration with him in advancing scientific exchange, interdisciplinary research, and international cooperation in the service of knowledge and humanity.
References and Further Reading
China Central Television (CCTV), “Xinwen 30 Fen (News 30), 9 July 2026,” CCTV.com, 9 July 2026.
https://tv.cctv.com/2026/07/09/VIDEzrSYnHgAnbOzhcHl5sik260709.shtml
China Central Television (CCTV), “Ding Xuexiang Meets Foreign Recipients of the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award,” CCTV.com, 8 July 2026.
https://tv.cctv.com/2026/07/08/VIDEx7IUKKQrAx6DoDC56twy260708.shtml
CORE Academy, “Artem R. Oganov: Profile,” CORE Academy Fellows Directory.
https://www.coreacad.org/Member.aspx?ProId=126
CORE Academy, “Artem Oganov’s Acceptance Address: Reflections on Science and Life,” 26 July 2024.
https://www.coreacad.org/NewsDetail.aspx?ID=145