On the afternoon of November 22nd, the AwardCeremony of Guangzhou Honorary Citizen was held in Guangzhou Baiyun International Convention Center. Professor Zhang Lianhui, Director of Integrative Microbiology Research Centre of SCAU, was awarded the title of Guangzhou HonoraryCitizen. It is the first time that a teacher of SCAU has won this honor.
More than 400 people attended the ceremony, including main officials of Guangzhou municipal government, other honorary citizens and guests from all over the world. Mr. Zhang Shuofu, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committeeand Secretary of CPC Guangzhou MunicipalCommittee, conferred a certificate and medal on Professor Zhang. Mr. Zhong Yangjin, Deputy Party Secretaryof SCAU, and Mrs. Yuan Juhua, Deputy Director of the International Office, also attended the ceremony.
Honorary Citizen of Guangzhou is only awarded to overseas Chinese,Hong Kong and Macao compatriots as well as foreign nationals who have contributed greatly to urban economic development, cultural construction,international exchanges and social welfare of Guangzhou city. During the congress, a total of 12 people have been granted the title of “Honorary citizen of Guangzhou” amid which Professor Zhang was one of the very few scientists. The Honorary Citizens enjoy the privilege of attending the municipal People’s Congress and the meetings organized by the CPPCC Guangzhou Committee and joining the major events, investigations and the policy-making process.
On November 12, a delegation led by Mr. Feng Guangjun, Director of Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of Guangzhou, visited SCAU and congratulated Professor Zhang for being elected as Guangzhou HonoraryCitizen. Mr. Feng thought highly of Professor Zhang’s significant contribution to the education and scientific research development of Guangzhou. Prof. Yang Zhou, Vice President of SCAU, showed great gratitude to the visit of the delegation on behalf of SCAU and also congratulated Professor Zhang.
Introduction to Professor Zhang Lianhui:
Professor Zhang has devoted to microbiology and Plant Pathology research for more than 30 years. He was considered to be one of the founders of Quorum-sensing field, and also the founder of a new theory of Control of Microbial Diseases by Quenching Quorum. He firstly discovered and identified Quorum-sensing Signal of Agrobacterium, and advanced Quorum-Sensing Signal is a regulatory mechanism which widely exist in microbiology. He firstly discovered and identified two kinds of hydrolases which can decompose Quorum-sensing Signal, and firstly proved the possibility of the Control of Microbial Diseases by Quenching Quorum . His achievements was used to solve the problems of the prevention and control of aquatic diseases in China. Professor Zhang is the chief scientist of National 937 Program, the Changjiang scholars and obtainer of National Outstanding Youth Fund, lead talents in Guangdong province, the winner of Singapore National Science Award and Contribution Award of the Overseas Chinese Community in China (Innovation team). He was given the title of academician of American Microbiology Academy in 2017.
In 2011, Professor Zhang accepted the invitation to work in SCAU with his national feel and grateful for the mother school. With strong support from the government and relevant school leaders, Professor Zhang accurately grasped the country's major strategic needs for food security, food safety and environmental safety. He focused on microbial pathogen communication systems as well as disease prevention and control. A series of original research progress and social benefits had been achieved and his achievements were highly recognized by peer experts. Professor Zhang not only worked hard in scientific researches, but also made a great contribution in promoting the introduction and training of talents for the region and SCAU. He also devoted to the cooperation in tackling key problems, and promoting the frontier research of Integrative Microbiology in China. In 2012, Professor Zhang united more than 30 teachers of Agricultural College, successfully applied for key Laboratory of Microbiological signal and Prevention and Control of Crop Disease in Guangdong Province. In 2014, he united 30 researchers from 8 domestic research institutions, including South China Agricultural University, Institute of Microbiology, CAS, Feed Research Institute Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhejiang University, Shandong University, Nanjing Agricultural University, Guangxi University and Institute of Biology of Hebei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, successfully applied for the National 973 Project basic Research on microbial Communication system and Disease Prevention and Control. In 2014, he helped to introduce the first Guangdong innovation team, which is led by Mr. Peter Greenberg, an academician of the USA National Academy of Sciences, into SCAU. In 2016, Professor Zhang led establish the Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, which is the first second-class research institution of SCAU. There are currently 17 Chinese and foreign researchers in the center, including four professors from the United States, six professors and two associate professors from Singapore, and one associate professor from France. One of the four American researchers is member of the United State Academy of Sciences and the rest of them are members of the American Academy of Microbiology. At the same time, he has also trained a number of young talents in scientce and technology, including two outstanding youth in Guangdong Province, one youth Zhujiang scholar, one top talent of the Guangdong Special support Project, one talent of Guangdong talents, three Zhujiang new star of Guangzhou. What is more, his research team was awarded the Contribution Award of the Overseas Chinese Community in China in 2016, which means that we have reserved a strong and influential talent team for the internationalization of education and the integration of scientific research with the world.