Xue Qikun, born in December 1963 in Mengyin County, Linyi City, Shandong Province, graduated from Shandong University in 1984 and received his Ph.D. from the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in 1994. He is currently a professor at Tsinghua University and the president of the Southern University of Science and Technology. He was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2005.
Xue Qikun is a prominent scientist in the field of condensed matter physics, having achieved several pioneering scientific breakthroughs. His team was the first to experimentally observe the quantum anomalous Hall effect, which had a significant international academic impact. He also discovered interface-enhanced high-temperature superconductivity in heterojunction systems, opening a new research direction in the field of high-temperature superconductivity.
As a strategic scientist in quantum technology in China, Xue Qikun has actively contributed to the development of China's quantum technology strategy, playing a crucial role in planning and systematically laying out the country's quantum technology development. With this award, he became the youngest recipient of the National Highest Science and Technology Award since its inception in 2000.
Xue Qikun's legendary journey, marked by taking the entrance exam for graduate school three times, spending seven years to obtain a Ph.D., and becoming one of the youngest academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences at 42, is well-known and inspires many young people. Nicknamed the "7-11 academician," he is known for entering the laboratory at 7 a.m. and working until 11 p.m.
At the 2023 opening ceremony of the Southern University of Science and Technology, Xue Qikun expressed his earnest expectations for the new students: to always maintain the belief that "those who strive will succeed" and to actively face life's challenges. This sense of belief and the courage to constantly challenge oneself are true reflections of Xue Qikun's journey.