Sir Zumla was born in Chipata, Zambia in 1955. He is dually qualified in Medicine (MB.ChB) and Science (PhD). He nearly lost his life to meningitis when he was working as a junior doctor in London in 1982. He subsequently progressed to a meteoric, star-studded, and extremely successful career focussed on tackling killer infectious diseases. Sir Zumla's research, training, capacity development, advocacy and charitable contributions to World Health Organization's Research and Development Blueprint Priority Diseases of TB, TB/HIV, COVID-19, MERS, and other epidemic-prone Emerging and re-emerging infections, are an exceptional major body of work developed with an upward trajectory along these specific themes over three decades. As of Nov 2022, Sir Zumla has over 880 publications (inc. 760 PubMed; 22 medical textbooks; 67 book chapters, and 40 journal themed series). His Google Scholar H-index is 122, i10index is 560, with 68,200 citations. Sir Zumla has received over 28 prestigious accolades/prizes including: Knighthood from HM The Queen-2017; IUATBLD UNION MEDAL-2018; Mahathir Science Prize-2020; EU-EDCTP Pascoal Mocumbi Prize-2021; Roy.Soc.Trop.Med.Hyg Sir Patrick Manson Medal.

Zichichi, em. prof. of Adv. Phys., U. of Bologna, has authored over 1100 sci. papers incl. 7 discoveries, 5 inventions, 3 original ideas which opened new avenues in high energy subnuclear physics and 4 high-precision measurements of fundamental physics properties. Among the discoveries: nuclear antimatter; among the inventions: an electronic circuit for time-of-flight measurements with a precision of seventy thousandth of a billionth of a second; among the original ideas that which brought to the discovery of the third column in the fundamental structure of the Universe. The great projects of European Physics (LEP and LAA at CERN, GRAN SASSO at INFN, HERA at DESY) are linked to his name, for his seminal contributions in their conception, study and implementation phases. He has been in charge of high-level offices and received 102 prizes, distinctions and medals in 15 countries.

Zhuang is a research professor at the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and professor at the University of CAS. She graduated (PhD 1988) from and served as a postdoctoral fellow (1990) in the Department of Plant Pathology at Cornell University, USA, and jointed the Department of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, CAS, Beijing in 1981. She was elected as a member of CAS in 2009. Her research is focused on the morphological and molecular approaches to systematics and phylogeny of certain groups of Ascomycota, species diversity of fungi from different areas of China, DAN barcoding of selected groups, and natural resources of fungicolous ascomycetes.

Zhu, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), professor of biogeochemistry and environmental soil science, is the science director of the Institute of Urban Environment, CAS. Zhu is a leader in taking multi-scale and multi-disciplinary approaches to soil and environmental problems. He obtained his PhD in environmental biology from Imperial College, London in 1998. He is currently the co-editor-in-chief of Environment International (Elsevier), founding editor of Soil Ecology Letters, and an editorial member for a few other international journals. He is a scientific committee member for the International Science Council (ISC) programme on Human Health and Wellbeing in Changing Urban Environment, and served for nine years as a member of the Standing Advisory Group for Nuclear Application, International Atomic Energy Agency (2004-2012). Zhu is the recipient of many merit awards, among them including the TWAS Prize in Agricultural Science 2013, and the National Natural Science Award 2009. Zhu has published over 400 papers in international journals. He is an ISI highly cited researcher.

Zhu received B.Eng. degree from Zhejiang University in 1982 and PhD degree from McMaster University, Canada, in 1991. He joined Department of Chemical Engineering at McMaster University as a faculty member in 1994 and served as department chair from 2009 to 2014. He has served as a vice-president of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen since 2017. Zhu works on polymer reaction engineering and materials, advanced polyolefin products, and smart polymers. He has trained 140 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, published 378 papers, received 13900 SCI citations, given 300 invited seminars. He was elected to Canada Research Chair in 2001, as a fellow to Chemical Institute of Canada in 2009, to Canadian Academy of Engineering in 2010, to Engineering Institute of Canada in 2011, and to Royal Society of Canada in 2014. He was bestowed the highest honor Distinguished University Professor by McMaster University in 2015 and awarded the primary R.S. Jane Memorial Award by Canadian Society of Chemical Engineering in 2016. He is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of several academic publications. He is an active consultant for polymer industries.

Zhu is a distinguished professor of Institute of Geology and Geophysics (IGG), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing. He served terms as Director of IGG-CAS and State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution. He is an author of more than 300 journal articles. He has pursued several distinct lines of research in paleomagnetism and geodynamics, including geomagnetic field reversal, paleointensity, magnetostratigraphy, and environmental magnetism. For example, his pacesetting work in magnetostratigraphic dating of early human settlements has dated the earliest human occupation in mainland East Asia at ~1.7 Ma, providing new insights into early human evolution. His efforts in exploring destruction of the North China Craton enable a significant advance in the understanding of continental evolution and plate tectonics. He was elected a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union, an academician of CAS, and a Fellow of TWAS. He was awarded the National Natural Science Award, the TWAS Prize in Earth Sciences, the Scientific and Technological Progress Prize of HLHL Foundation (Hong Kong), and the Young Scientist Award of China.

Zhu (PhD, 1999, Donghua University), member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is currently the dean of the College of Materials Science and Engineering and the director of the State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials at Donghua University. She has served as the vice-president for Chinese Materials Research Society (C-MRS) since 2016, for the Chinese Association of Women Scientific Workers since 2019, and for the China Textile Engineering Society since 2020. She is recognized as a pioneer in the discovery and development of melt spinning process theory of polymer-based nanocomposite fibers in China. She published over 450 SCI papers, 10 books and chapters. Over 300 Chinese Invention Patents were filed and granted. Her honors and awards include Second Prize of National Award for Technological Inventions (2020), National Innovation Competition Award (2017), First Prize of Shanghai Natural Science Award (2018), First Prize of Shanghai Award for Technological Invention (2015), the Cheung Kong Scholars (2013), Shanghai Science and Technology Elite (2011), Second Prize of National Award for Progress in Science and Technology (2006).

Zhou is director of the Xi'an AMS Center, China. She has also been director of the Institute of Earth Environment and the State Key Laboratory, Chinese Academy of Sciences. She obtained her PhD in geology and was awarded The First National Prize for the One Hundred Most Outstanding PhD Theses by the Ministry of Education, China. She has pioneered the development of chronostratigraphic and geochemical tracer techniques using loess 10Be and 14C for Quaternary studies and revolutionized the understandings of north-south hemisphere interactions and geomagnetic excursion or reversal processes. She has been awarded two National Prizes (numbers 2 and 3) in Natural Science and five number 1 State Prizes in Advanced Science and Technology. Her international experience includes associate editor, Radiocarbon Journal(now editorial member), and panel member, PAGES/CLIVAR working group (2004-08).

Zheng is professor of geochemistry, U. of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, and director, Key Laboratory of Crust-Mantle Materials and Environments, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He graduated in 1982 from Nanjing U., China, obtained Dr. rer. nat. in 1991 from U. of Göttingen, Germany, and did postdoctoral research during 1991-1993 in U. of Tübingen, Germany. He is specialized in isotope geochemistry and geochronology, with focus on chemical geodynamics and fluid regime of subduction zones. He won the National Natural Science Award of China in 2004, and was elected Fellow of the Mineralogical Society of America in 2005, Member of CAS in 2009, and Fellow of the Geochemical Society in 2017. He is Chief Editor of 'Science China: Earth Sciences', Associate Editor for 'Geochemical Journal', and editorial board member for 'Chemical Geology' and 'Lithos'.

Zhao is a chair professor at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), and a Changjiang chair professor at Northwest University, China. He earned BSc and MSc from Jilin University in 1985 and 1988, respectively, and a PhD from Curtin University in 2000. Since August 2000, he has been working in the Department of Earth Sciences at HKU. Zhao’s research fields are metamorphic petrology, Precambrian geology and supercontinents. He has published 432 papers, cited for 61,062 times (h-index 134). Zhao has received many awards and honors, including State Natural Science Award (Second Class, 2014), Highly Cited Researchers (2014-2021), 29th Khwarizmi International Award (First Class; 2016), Chair Professorship of Cheung Kong (Changjiang) Scholars Program (2017), and TWAS Prize in Earth, Astronomy and Space Sciences (2018). He is a fellow of the Geological Society of America (2014), a member (Academician) of the Chinese Academy of Science (2019), Fellow (Academician) of The World Academy of Science (TWAS) for the Advancement of Science in Developing Countries (2020), and HKU Distinguished Research Achievement Awards (2021). He was the Editor-in-Chief of Precambrian Research (2010-2021).

Ya-ping was educated at Fudan University and Kunming Institute of Zoology (KIZ), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He is a professor of KIZ, CAS; vice president, CAS; honorary president, Yunnan University; president, Chinese Society of Genetics. His awards include Prizes for Young Scientists of China; Science and Technology Prizes for Youth in China; Qiu Shi Science and Technologies Prizes for Outstanding Young Scientists, Hong Kong; Natural Science Prizes of China, Second Grade; Biodiversity Leadership Awards, Bay and Paul Foundations, USA; May 4th Youth Medal of China; Ho Leung Ho Lee Prize for Science and Technology, Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation; Natural Science Prizes of China, Second Grade; and Cheung Kong Scholars Achievement Award, Ministry of Education of China, and Li Ka Shing Foundation. He is a member of CAS.

Zhang is known for his research in rice genomics and biotechnology. He holds a PhD (genetics, 1985) from UC Davis. He is prof. and dir., Natl. Key Lab. of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural Univ. (HAU), Wuhan, China, since 1999; and dir., Natl. Ctr. of Plant Gene Research, Wuhan. His honors include King Baudouin Prize, Intl. Found. for Science, Sweden, 1993; Award for Significant Contributions to Agric. Science in China, Chinese Found. for Agric. Science and Education, 1997; Young Scientists of China, Central Govt. of China, 1998; Award for Advancement in Science and Technology, Ho Leung Ho Lee Found., Hong Kong, 2003; and Cal Aggie Alumni Assoc. Emil M. Intl. Award, UC Davis, 2005. In 1999 he was named Cheung Kong professor by the Ministry of Education, China. He is a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and for. assoc., US Natl. Academy of Sciences.

Zhang (PhD, 1995, U. of Reading) is a UNEP senior staff and Director, UNEP-International Ecosystem Management Partnership (UNEP-IEMP), a joint center between the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and UNEP. She is leading the implementation of a UNEP flagship programme focusing on the nexus of climate change, ecosystem services and sustainable development. She used to be a professor and Deputy Director at Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy (CCAP), Chinese Acad. of Sciences (CAS). Most of her previous research has concentrated on policy-relevant studies on rural development in China, particularly on poverty alleviation. In recent years, her team has also focused on action research in rural health, nutrition and education to assess effectiveness of policies and interventions. She has published more than 300 papers in natl. and intl. journals, and presented more than 30 policy suggestions to government. She received numerous awards, incl. Fudan Management Excellence Award (2014), TWAS Celso-Furtado Prize in Social Sciences (2013), "Ten Most Outstanding Women in Science" award, CAS (2012), "100 Talent" award, CAS (2007), "Outstanding Young Scientist" Award, NSFC (2003).

Zhang is professor at Tsinghua University. He received his B. S. (1978) from Peking University. He studied Solid State Chemistry and Materials Science in University of Bordeaux I (France) and received a PhD in 1993 in France. He makes great contributions to the fundamental research and application of rare-earth functional materials. His awards include: The 2nd Class of National Natural Science Award, China; Outstanding Youth Scholar Award by Hong Kong Qiushi Scientific and Technological Foundation, Hong Kong; and Gold Kangaroo World Innovation Award, Australia. His membership includes: Chinese Academy of Sciences; Chinese Chemical Society; American Chemical Society; Royal Society of Chemistry, UK; and Chinese Society of Rare Earths.

Zhang (PhD, 1989, Hohenehim University) is professor and Dean of the Institute of Green Agricultural Development; President of National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University. He is member of Chinese Academy of Engineering and International Eurasian Academy of Sciences. His prizes include National Award of Nature Science, National Award of Science and Technology Advance, Science and Technology Award of Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation, TWAS Prize in Agricultural Sciences; IFA International Crop Nutrition Award; Outstanding Achievement Award of Hohenheim University and GCHERA World Agriculture Prize. He holds honorary degrees, scientist appointments and professorships from 15 universities, including Wageningen University and Lancaster University. He is a member of International Plant Nutrition Council,Scientific Panel for Responsible Plant Nutrition, International Society of Root Research, Chinese Society of Soil Science, Global Partnership of Nutrient Management Steering Committee-UNEP, Chinese Society of Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer Science.

Zeng (PhD, 1986, Brussels Free University; Post-doc 1986-1987, Princeton University) is tenured professor of National School of Development at Peking University, Honorary Director of Center for Healthy Aging and Development Study at Peking University. He is also tenured professor of Center for Study of Aging and Human Development and Geriatric Division, School of Medicine, and Director of Center for Chinese Population and Socioeconomic Studies, Duke University. He is a foreign member of Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, and Distinguished Research Scholar of Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Germany. Up to July 2021, he published 369 articles (196 in English,173 in Chinese) and 31 academic books (11 in English, 20 in Chinese); he submitted 51 policy reports to government agencies; his articles/books have been cited over 14,354 times in other scholars’ publications, his h-index is 54 and i10-index is 174; he was awarded 4 international academic prizes and 16 national academic prizes.

Zaritzky has received the degree of Chemical Engineer, Faculty of Engineering, University of La Plata, (UNLP) Argentina in 1971 and PhD degree in Chemical Sciences from the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences (University of Buenos Aires, Argentina), in 1984. She has carried out an extensive original work of scientific research and technological development in Food and Environmental Engineering, and is internationally considered among the core of recognized specialists, reaching the highest research category in Argentina (Superior Researcher of the Scientific and Technological National Research Council, CONICET). Full Professor of Transport Phenomena- Chemical Engineering Department - UNLP, she also specialized in Food Preservation. Professor Emeritus since 2016, Zaritzky has focused her research interests in the application of Chemical Engineering principles to the design and optimization of food processing and preservation, and waste-water treatments. Author of 247 publications in international peer-reviewed journals and 50 book chapters, she has also 6 approved patents. She participated in more than 70 technical works contributing to technology transfer.