Huang Qianqian

Huang Qianqian, a 30-year-old assistant professor at the Department of Microelectronics, Peking University, has become the youngest winner of the Xplorer Prize, an annual public-interest award that recognizes inspirational Chinese scientists younger than 45 working full-time.

Huang, a PhD, spent over nine years researching microelectronics and solid-state electronics. In 2017, she became a doctoral supervisor at Peking University. Two years later, she was named in the 30 Under 30 China list by Forbes, highlighting 30 high-achievers under 30 in different fields.

The Xplorer Prize was instituted in 2018 by Tencent CEO Pony Ma, Professor Rao Yi of Peking University, and other scientists. Tencent Foundation provides 3 million yuan ($439,800) to each award-winner in five years.