SurMat Student Dr. Ying Chen wins Chinese Government Award

Dr. Ying Chen, who has performed his PhD thesis in the frame of the IMPRS-SurMat programme at the MPIE, was awarded the “Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-Financed Student Abroad”. This prize is awarded each year to ca. 300 Chinese students who finished their PhD thesis with excellent results abroad and it carries a value of 5000 US$. The award ceremony for ca. 30 Chinese students in Germany took place on June 5th in Berlin. The Chinese Ambassador congratulated the students during a festive ceremony.

The evaluation criteria for this prize are strict. Applicants have to submit a recommendation letter and a list of publications and scientific achievements, which are then evaluated by external referees from a related scientific background. Chen finished his thesis in December 2009 at the faculty of chemistry in Bochum. The focus of his research was on gold nanostructures which he received from an iron-gold eutectoid mixture by directional solidification. These gold nanostructures can find possible applications e.g. in catalysis or in electronic devices.

Chen seems to carry on a tradition. Before him also the SurMat Students Hengshan Qiu (2008) and Nan Li (2007) were both winners of this award.