Professor Zhang Yuxin of Chongqing University, who has many years of experience in research and scientific popularization of chemical new materials, has been recently dubbed as the “National Outstanding Scientific and Technological Worker in Petroleum and Chemical Industry”. The selection kicked off in April 2020 and was open to manufacturers, scientific research institutions, colleges and universities in the petroleum and chemical industry of China. After strict review and appraisal, 269 candidates, including 5 from Chongqing, were granted the title.

Attachment: Professor Zhang Yuxin’s experience in scientific popularization

Zhang Yuxin, a professor of Chongqing University, graduated from the School of Chemical Engineering of Tianjin University with bachelor's degree and master's degree. In 2008, he graduated from National University of Singapore under the guidance of Professor Zeng Huachun (the world's top 100 chemists), a "world's highly cited scientist" in 2020 of Clarivate. He is mainly engaged in the design and synthesis of inorganic nonmetallic mineral composites and interdisciplinary research oriented to new energy and environment. He is now executive deputy editor in chief of Nano Materials Science, editorial board member of Scientific Reports and other journals, columnist of In&Out of Class-Science Fans, and a member of the Expert Committee of University. In 2017, he was selected as highly cited scholar/excellent reviewer of the Journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry. In 2018, he was awarded the title of the most beautiful popular science volunteer in Chongqing, and was the annual excellent instructor of the “Young Eagle” Youth Innovative Talents Cultivation Program of Chongqing.

Experience in scientific popularization

i. Zhang always takes the initiative and is devoted to youth science popularization. In the first place, he is practically engaged in creation of science popularization works. Zhang has organized the platform of national key laboratory and innovation practice center, which are open to the general public; participated in science camp activities and other theme activities of primary and secondary schools of Chongqing, and created a series of popular science lectures and popular science works such as Beauty of Materials, Magic Diatoms (for children, primary school, middle school, and college students (social version)), the Story of Water, and etc. Secondly, he has actively organized popular science activities. Zhang has taken the lead in organizing the work of Chongqing Competition Area of the First "National Nano Star Competition", large-scale science popularization theme exhibition with "Scientific and Technological Innovation Brings Better Life" as the theme, and actively participated in activities such as the science popularization activity titled “academicians and experts into campus”, National Science Popularization Creation Competition, and Chongqing University and Chongqing Science Popularization Lecturing Competition, etc. Those activities have directly benefited more than 10,000 people and indirectly benefited 200,000 people. Thirdly, he is an advocate of Youth Science and Technology Innovation Summer (Winter) Camp. By using his own laboratory resources, he assisted the Chongqing Association for Science and Technology in holding various forms of summer (winter) camp for youth scientific and technological innovation, which spread interesting knowledge of the frontier fields such as artificial intelligence and materials and benefited more than 3,000 students. Fourthly, he is involved in the "Young Eagle Program" despite setbacks. He guided the “Young Eagle Program” students such as those from Chongqing No.1 Middle School and Middle School Affiliated to Southwest University to participate in the Youth Innovation Competition and won the honor title of excellent instructor.

ii. Zhang is a pioneer in innovation and is committed to the internationalization of science popularization. Firstly, Zhang leveraged the international cooperation resources of colleges and universities to innovate and promote the international framework and cooperation of science popularization; facilitated the establishment of cooperation between Nature Springer innovation resources and institutions in Chongqing to help young science and technology workers make progress and grow; attended the science popularization training at the headquarters of Nature with another 27 editors in chief of Nature and other “Double-First-Rate” journals (in the first batch of 14 people recommended by the Propaganda Department of the CPC Central Committee, Zhang is the only representative of Chongqing); established the editorial board of Nano Materials Science, and participated in nano science popularization with 17 academicians and 129 scholars from 19 countries, including Lyu Jian; invited Nobel laureate Novoselov and Academician Ruoff to popularize science of graphene among young students; and guided university students to publish Diatom Nanotechnology, an English monograph on science popularization of the Royal Society of Chemistry, which vividly explained diatom nanotechnology, and was invited as an expert of the science popularization column of the Royal Society of Chemistry. Secondly, he helped with regional science popularization, scientific and technological innovation and internationalization. Zhang also got actively involved in scientific innovation of science popularization of Chongqing. As a long-term cooperative expert in science popularization of Shapingba District Association of Science and Technology and Chongqing Association for Science and Technology, he has contributed to the annual event of Chongqing International Frontier Innovation Conference, which attracted leading talents (projects) of science and technology at home and abroad and international innovation frontier achievements to settle in Chongqing.

iii. He is unselfish and is devoted to improving the scientific quality of citizens. Firstly, he made efforts to broaden the path in an innovative way to enhance citizens' sense of gain from science popularization; actively participated in the science popularization activities organized by Chongqing Association for Science and Technology and Shapingba District Association of Science and Technology, and cooperative science popularization activities held in collaboration with science popularization bases and communities; used the new media, such as the Chongqing TV, Chongqing Radio Station, official Weibo account of Science Popularization in Universities, and official WeChat account, to enhance the scientific literacy of citizens by "Internet +"; directly participated in the "Lunar Micro Ecosystem" Science Popularization Load Project of Chang'e 4, and provided the diatomite composite soil improvement program, which helped the first seed to sprout on the moon; actively participated in the epidemic emergency science popularization; he did not only organize the students of the research group to publish scientific reviews and translated works on diatom, but also offered science popularization courses such as scientific paper writing online. During the outbreak of COVID-19, Zhang studied at home and continued with the science popularization among college students and middle school students. Secondly, Zhang always adhered to the correct political direction, upheld the scientific spirit, and resolutely shouldered the social responsibility. He consciously enhanced "Four-consciousness", strengthened "Four-self-confidence", practiced "Two-maintenance", and spread positive energy with lectures such as the "Power of Belief". Zhang has won the title of advanced individual of Chongqing Innovation Competition Award Selection. His advanced deeds were extensively covered by People's Daily, Chongqing Daily, “https://www.12371.gov.cn”, Contemporary CPC Members and other media, Furthermore, Zhang has won the honorary title of the most beautiful science popularization volunteer of Chongqing in 2018, Chongqing Innovation Award in 2019, the title of excellent instructor of “Young Eagle” Youth Innovative Talents Cultivation Program of Chongqing in 2018-2019.