Science, innovation and technology officials from APEC member economies
have identified twelve young scientists in the Asia-Pacific region whose
cutting-edge research is leading the way in the fight against climate
change.
The scientists are finalists for the 2015 APEC Science Prize for
Innovation, Research and Education under the theme: “Disaster Risk
Reduction: Understanding the Role of Climate Change and Variability.”
The focus of the program, known as the ASPIRE Prize, is on the
cross-border development of technologies to help economies adapt to
changing natural conditions, strengthen environmental protection and
build more resilient, sustainable communities.
Click
here to meet the 2015 ASPIRE Prize finalists
“Rising sea levels and the increasing occurrence of extreme weather are
indicative of the huge challenges that climate change poses to lives and
livelihoods, particularly in the Pacific Rim,” said Secretary Mario
Montejo of the Philippines’ Department of Science and
Technology—champion of this year’s ASPIRE Prize theme as APEC Chair in
2015. “Technical collaboration is critical to ensuring that people,
businesses and economies are in a position to endure.”
“Mitigating the effects of climate change is at the top of the APEC
agenda,” added Chen Linhao, Chair of the APEC Policy Partnership for
Science, Technology, and Innovation, which administers the annual ASPIRE
Prize. “Young scientists are leading a new era of cooperation in the
Asia-Pacific to combat emerging climate change threats,” noted Chen, who
is also Deputy Director-General of International Cooperation at China’s
Ministry of Science and Technology.
APEC members are hit by more than 70 per cent of the world’s natural
disasters, ranging from typhoons, floods and mudslides, to drought and
wildfires. The frequency and intensity of emergencies such as these is
on the rise, exacerbated by climate change. In 2014 alone, natural
disasters affected nearly 80 million people and caused around 60 USD
billion in economic losses across the Asia-Pacific, according to the
United Nations.
Carbon capture and storage technologies, seasonal prediction systems,
flood modelling and the forecasting of influenza outbreaks through
meteorological data are among the wide-ranging research areas advanced
by this year’s ASPIRE Prize finalists—each under 40 years of age and
based in an APEC economy. The impact of their work will be screened
against scholarly publications and must involve cooperation with peers
from other APEC economies.
The winner will be honored alongside a meeting of officials and industry
representatives from the APEC Policy Partnership on Science, Technology
and Innovation in Manila next month to promote the development and
implementation of innovation-friendly policies in APEC economies. The
winner will also receive USD 25,000, sponsored by Wiley and Elsevier,
publishers of scholarly scientific knowledge.
“ASPIRE continues to bring attention to the extraordinary science and
collaboration taking place in the region,” said YoungSuk “Y.S.” Chi,
Chairman of Elsevier. “Recognition of young scientists and their work
encourages further breakthroughs to address grand challenges such as
climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.”
“We are inspired by the twelve young scientists put forward by APEC
member economies,” said Mark Allin, President and CEO, Wiley. “This
year’s record number of nominees highlights the promising pipeline of
research in this important area and the innovative solutions being
developed through regional collaboration.”
For more information on the 2015 ASPIRE Prize, please visit: http://www.apec.org/aspire
About Wiley
Wiley
is a global provider of knowledge and knowledge-enabled services that
improve outcomes in the areas of research, professional training and
practice, and education. Through the Research segment, the Company
provides scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly journals,
magazines, databases and websites. The Talent Solutions & Education
Services segment provides services, technology, insights and content
that support learners and institutional partners in business and higher
education to improve effectiveness by developing knowledge and skills.
In Knowledge and Learning, higher education institutions, faculty and
students benefit from Wiley’s print and digital content, online program
management services and course management tools.
About Elsevier
Elsevier is a world-leading provider of information solutions that
enhance the performance of science, health, and technology
professionals, empowering them to make better decisions, deliver better
care, and sometimes make groundbreaking discoveries that advance the
boundaries of knowledge and human progress. Elsevier provides web-based,
digital solutions – among them ScienceDirect, Scopus, Elsevier
Research Intelligence and ClinicalKey
– and publishes over 2,500 journals, including The
Lancet and Cell,
and more than 33,000 book titles, including a number of iconic reference
works. Elsevier is part of RELX
Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions for
professional customers across industries.
Media:
Wiley
Tom Griffin, +44 1865 47 6213
tgriffin@wiley.com
or
Media:
Elsevier
Jason Chan, +65 (6349) 0240
j.chan@elsevier.com