SOURCE / PRESS RELEASE
Bayer China Academic Collaboration Award 2023 unveiled
• Scientists from Tsinghua University and Peking University conferred theBayer Endowed Chair and Bayer Investigator awards
• This year marks the 15th and 10th consecutive year for Bayer’s strategic partnership with Tsinghua University and Peking University respectively
• So far, more than 200 Chinese scientists have won relevant awards and grants
Bayer, in collaboration with Tsinghua University and Peking University, recently announced the recipients of the Bayer China Academic Collaboration Award 2023. This prestigious award includes the Bayer Endowed Chair, the Bayer Investigator, the Bayer Microfunding program and the Bayer Postdoc awards. The Bayer China Academic Collaboration Award aims to recognise and support distinguished scholars with outstanding achievements in life sciences, medical science as well as drug research and development, and to build close collaborations with prestigious Chinese universities, strengthening communication and coordination between the pharmaceutical industry and academia, and advancing the application and translation of fundamental research to drug discovery and development, thus accelerating breakthrough innovations that will benefit patients.
This year, the scientist awarded the Bayer Endowed Chair is Professor Lei Liu from the Department of Chemistry of Tsinghua University. Meanwhile, a total of eleven scientists from Peking University and Tsinghua University became Bayer Investigators through the selection of the Joint Steering Committee (JSC) composed of Bayer experts and senior scholars from the top two universities in China. Professor Gang Liu from the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Professor Zhijie Chang and Dr. Mo Chen from the School of Medicine of Tsinghua University received funding support from the Bayer Microfunding program on their scientific research projects. In addition, five outstanding young researchers from Peking University grew into Bayer Postdoc candidates.
As an integral part of its long-term commitment in China, Bayer attaches great importance to and continues to pay attention to local scientific collaboration, and strongly supports China's original innovative drug research and development. The company has established long-term strategic partnerships with Tsinghua University and Peking University since 2009 and 2014 respectively. The partnerships not only pioneer scientific research collaborations between multinational pharmaceutical companies and local academic institutions in the country, but also set examples of the synergetic development and collaboration between industry and academia on advancing drug innovation.
“Since 2014, Peking University has collaborated with Bayer Health Sciences on advanced research, academic exchange, and talent recruitment. This partnership has led to significant achievements. Over the past decade, we have recruited 59 outstanding talents, with 17 benefiting from Bayer's support. Together, we have worked on nearly 30 research projects, resulting in impactful publications and international patent applications. Notably, a development from our joint project has progressed to phase 2 clinical trials,” said Hong Wu, Chair Professor of School of Life Sciences at Peking University and Senior Investigator at the Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences. Hong has also served as a JSC member for Bayer Academic Collaborations in China since 2014. “Peking University, a highly respected institution, leverages all available resources, including global partnerships, to uphold its dedication to education and research. We look forward to continuing our strong alliance with Bayer as we push forward in advancing biomedical research for the improvement of human health in China and globally.”
So far, Bayer and these two academic partners have carried out more than 100 research collaboration projects, including discovery and structural analysis of novel targets, pathogenesis and drug mechanism of action research, drug screening, efficacy evaluation as well as exploration on new modalities, new synthetic methods and innovative formulations, covering multiple therapeutic areas such as oncology and cardiovascular diseases.
About Bayer
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. In line with its mission, “Health for all, hunger for none,” the company’s products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainable development and generating a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In 2023, the Group employed around 100,000 people and had sales of 47.6 billion euros. R&D expenses before special items amounted to 5.8 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.
• This year marks the 15th and 10th consecutive year for Bayer’s strategic partnership with Tsinghua University and Peking University respectively
• So far, more than 200 Chinese scientists have won relevant awards and grants
Bayer, in collaboration with Tsinghua University and Peking University, recently announced the recipients of the Bayer China Academic Collaboration Award 2023. This prestigious award includes the Bayer Endowed Chair, the Bayer Investigator, the Bayer Microfunding program and the Bayer Postdoc awards. The Bayer China Academic Collaboration Award aims to recognise and support distinguished scholars with outstanding achievements in life sciences, medical science as well as drug research and development, and to build close collaborations with prestigious Chinese universities, strengthening communication and coordination between the pharmaceutical industry and academia, and advancing the application and translation of fundamental research to drug discovery and development, thus accelerating breakthrough innovations that will benefit patients.
This year, the scientist awarded the Bayer Endowed Chair is Professor Lei Liu from the Department of Chemistry of Tsinghua University. Meanwhile, a total of eleven scientists from Peking University and Tsinghua University became Bayer Investigators through the selection of the Joint Steering Committee (JSC) composed of Bayer experts and senior scholars from the top two universities in China. Professor Gang Liu from the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Professor Zhijie Chang and Dr. Mo Chen from the School of Medicine of Tsinghua University received funding support from the Bayer Microfunding program on their scientific research projects. In addition, five outstanding young researchers from Peking University grew into Bayer Postdoc candidates.
Dr Juergen Eckhardt and Professor Hongwei Wang awarded the Bayer Endowed Chair to Professor Lei Liu from the Department of Chemistry at Tsinghua University.
“We are delighted to honor Chinese scientists who have made remarkable achievements and contributions to scientific research. Long-established partnerships with Tsinghua University and Peking University well demonstrate Bayer’s consistent commitment to driving innovation through external collaborations since the country has emerged as a key innovation source in life sciences,” said Dr. Juergen Eckhardt, Head of Pharmaceuticals Business Development & Licensing and Leaps by Bayer. “We look forward to exploring innovative models and diversified approaches of collaborations in China to foster early innovation and accelerate the translation of scientific breakthroughs into innovative treatments, thus delivering a meaningful impact in healthcare, for the benefits of patients.”As an integral part of its long-term commitment in China, Bayer attaches great importance to and continues to pay attention to local scientific collaboration, and strongly supports China's original innovative drug research and development. The company has established long-term strategic partnerships with Tsinghua University and Peking University since 2009 and 2014 respectively. The partnerships not only pioneer scientific research collaborations between multinational pharmaceutical companies and local academic institutions in the country, but also set examples of the synergetic development and collaboration between industry and academia on advancing drug innovation.
Bayer celebrates the 15th anniversary of its strategic partnership with Tsinghua University and the 10th anniversary of its partnership with Peking University.
“Over the years, research collaborations between Bayer, Tsinghua University and Peking University have been significantly advancing, and academic exchanges have been extensive and diverse. These partnerships have exemplified collaborations between multinational companies and universities in life sciences and biomedicine,” said Hongwei Wang, Professor of School of Life Sciences and Vice-President of Tsinghua University. Wang is a JSC member for Bayer Academic Collaborations in China and was awarded the Bayer Endowed Chair in 2018. “We hope to further enhance our strategic partnership with Bayer. It fosters the deep integration of industry and academia, strengthens the translation of scientific outcomes, actively promotes open innovation in science and technology, and continuously enhances connections of multinational companies and Chinese universities on translation and application of fundamental research. Meanwhile, we expect to generate more impacts in cultivating talents to support high-level innovation. Upholding the scientific spirit of truth-seeking and exploration, we will continue to collaborate and innovate to solve global challenges and contribute to human life and health!”“Since 2014, Peking University has collaborated with Bayer Health Sciences on advanced research, academic exchange, and talent recruitment. This partnership has led to significant achievements. Over the past decade, we have recruited 59 outstanding talents, with 17 benefiting from Bayer's support. Together, we have worked on nearly 30 research projects, resulting in impactful publications and international patent applications. Notably, a development from our joint project has progressed to phase 2 clinical trials,” said Hong Wu, Chair Professor of School of Life Sciences at Peking University and Senior Investigator at the Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences. Hong has also served as a JSC member for Bayer Academic Collaborations in China since 2014. “Peking University, a highly respected institution, leverages all available resources, including global partnerships, to uphold its dedication to education and research. We look forward to continuing our strong alliance with Bayer as we push forward in advancing biomedical research for the improvement of human health in China and globally.”
Dr Ulrich Nielsch, a member of the Bayer Joint Steering Committee, and Professor Hong Wu presented the Bayer Investigator award to researchers from Peking University.
As of April 2024, more than 200 Chinese eminent scientists and young scholars have won the Bayer Endowed Chair and Bayer Investigator awards. In November 2023, Professor Songhai Shi and Professor Ning Yan, who have been awarded the Bayer Endowed Chair, and Professor Zemin Zhang, who has been awarded the Bayer Investigator, became the latest elected academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, playing a pivotal role in driving scientific progress, fostering innovation, and contributing to the development of China’s scientific community.So far, Bayer and these two academic partners have carried out more than 100 research collaboration projects, including discovery and structural analysis of novel targets, pathogenesis and drug mechanism of action research, drug screening, efficacy evaluation as well as exploration on new modalities, new synthetic methods and innovative formulations, covering multiple therapeutic areas such as oncology and cardiovascular diseases.
About Bayer
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. In line with its mission, “Health for all, hunger for none,” the company’s products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainable development and generating a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In 2023, the Group employed around 100,000 people and had sales of 47.6 billion euros. R&D expenses before special items amounted to 5.8 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.
