Yu Min, an 88-year-old nuclear physicist considered the "father of China's Hydrogen Bomb" has won the country's top science prize on Friday.

He began serving as a researcher at the Modern Physics Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1951, after graduating from Peking University.

During his time with the academy, he studied nuclear weapon theory and solved a series of problems concerning thermal nuclear physics related to H-bomb tests. This groundbreaking research led to the development of China's first Hydrogen Bong in 1967.

He was also the recipient of the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" Achievement Medal, another top science award given by the Chinese government to those who have made great contributions to China's first satellite project.

At the award ceremony held in Beijing on Friday, Yu Min received the State Preeminent Science and Technology Award for 2014 from Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The award comes with a cash prize worth five-million-yuan (805,200 US dollars), 10% of which is given to the awarded scientist. A majority of the prize money, almost 4.5 million yuan, will be used for future scientific research under his guidance.

A total of 318 cutting-edge scientific research projects in 2014 were recognized by the State Science and Technology Awards. Eight outstanding foreign scientists and the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas were also awarded.

The five million-yuan State Preeminent Science and Technology Award was set up in 1999. It is awarded to the top two scientists of the country each year.

So far, 25 Chinese scientists have won the award, including "The Father of Hybrid Rice" Yuan Longping and urban planner Wu Liangyong.

Source: CRIENGLISH.com

http://english.cri.cn/12394/2015/01/09/3561s860840.htm

Edited by: Zhang Jiang