Growing up in a Kazakh family in northwest China, Guljaina Kazezkhan often spent her childhood summer nights lying on a carpet in the yard and gazing at the stars. "I would lie there for hours, just imagining what the universe looked like," recalled the 34-year-old, sitting in her office at the Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory under the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Her office is a three-hour drive from the construction site of a scientific marvel.

What began as a simple childhood fascination has driven Zhu Maoyan into becoming a globally recognized expert in the field of early life evolution and Earth system history. On top of honors such as being elected as an honorary fellow of the Geological Society of London, Zhu added the title of academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to his repertoire in November.

At work, Wang Zhifeng is a scientist specializing in solar thermal power research, but in his free time, he is an avid snow sports enthusiast. He has even covered one of the walls in his office with action shots of him and his family out on the slopes. He has combined his two passions to envision an indoor ski resort powered by solar energy on a sunny island in south China.

The 23-year-old Ahmed Medhat Mostafa Elsayed is an Egyptian student who is currently doing research in particle physics at the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei. Now Elsayed, whose research topic focuses on heavy neutrinos, plans to apply for the doctoral degree here, hoping he could make some influential scientific research achievements...

The ocean, as described by physical oceanographer ZHOU Hui of the Institute of Oceanology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is a "chaotic yet fascinating dance floor." It's a dynamic stage where everything from tiny ripples to vast, thousand-kilometer currents interact in a perpetual performance.

China's Tiangong space station is set to welcome another spectacled visitor. ZHANG Hongzhang, researcher from a leading natural science institute, will conduct experiments in orbit 400 km above Earth, elevating his quest for achieving groundbreaking studies to cosmic heights.

For nearly 10 years, Tajik geologist Dzhovid Yogibekov has made his life in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, where his studies have grown into a deep connection with local society. Xinjiang, which borders Tajikistan, is easily accessible from his home country.

After her neuroimaging research at Germany's Max Planck Institute, Dr. LI Juan chose to join the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) – drawn by its global reputation and the synergy between her work and NIMTE's Nanobiomaterials Group. She collaborates with a vibrant team, pioneering novel biomaterials and smart biomedical probes for the precision diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

Last year, Chen Liquan, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was awarded the CAS Outstanding Scientific and Technological Achievement Award, a recognition for a lifetime of groundbreaking contributions. From developing China's first all-solid-state lithium metal battery to mentoring a new generation of scientists and entrepreneurs, Chen's work has been instrumental in transforming China from a follower to a global leader in battery technology.

While China's green energy transition appears to have a heavy focus on electric vehicles, solar, wind and hydro power, another clean energy source being developed is hydrogen. Zhou Wu, an expert on hydrogen catalysis has been a driving force behind China's research into the process that could revolutionize the clean commercial production of hydrogen.

At the end of 2024, Chinese scientist Wei Yuansong, a leading expert in water pollution control, received an extraordinary honor: a set of commemorative stamps issued by Sri Lanka featuring his portrait. This rare tribute recognized his decade-long commitment to providing communities with safe drinking water and fostering scientific collaboration between China and Sri Lanka.

ZHANG Chi is a visionary innovator who developed his expertise in intelligent engineering and technology during an eight-year expedition in Singapore. Now based in Ningbo, a vibrant city recognized for its cultural richness and global connections, he is working alongside his team to advance precision motion control and intelligent robotics technology.