Chinese scientist wins 2018 UNESCO for Women in Science Awards

PARIS - Chinese scientist Mee-Mann Chang was honored with the L'Oreal-UNESCO for Women in Science Awards 2018, along with four other women for their ground-breaking discoveries in sciences.

At a ceremony held at the UNESCO's headquarters in Paris on Thursday, the 82-year-old female scientist was honored for "her pioneering work on fossil records leading to insights on how aquatic vertebrates adapted to life and land," the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said.

Her longstanding commitment has offered China the opportunity to establish itself in the field of paleontology and develop a dynamic research environment that gives birth to new generations of eminent scientists, according to the awards' organizers.

Chang is a professor at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology and a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences based in Beijing.

The Chinese laureate said she is "very honored" to receive this year's UNESCO for Women in Sciences Awards, paying tribute to the efforts of her partners around the world, including Russian and Swedish teachers that helped her at the start of her career six decades ago.

The other four scientists honored this year are Heather Zar of South Africa, Caroline Dean of Britain, Amy Austin of Argentina and Janet Rossant of Canada.

Each of the five laureates will receive a prize of 100,000 euros ($123,250).

"We are celebrating the 20th anniversary of this award in a historic moment, when the voice of women is better heard ... We live today ... in a world marked by the major technological revolution, and we must rely on collective intelligence, which implies to be able to count on the talents and creativities of women of science," UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said during the awarding ceremony.

The L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards, given to five people each year, are dedicated to honoring distinguished women scientists and supporting promising young women researchers.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the awards program, a UNESCO partnership with the L'Oreal Foundation.