Bayer China Research Collaboration Awards 2024 Announced, Recognizing Leading Scientists from Peking and Tsinghua Universities
● Scientists from Peking University and Tsinghua University have been honored with awards such as the "Bayer Chair Professor" and "Bayer Fellow."
● To date, more than 220 Chinese scientists have received relevant awards and funding
Today, Bayer, together with Peking University and Tsinghua University, jointly announced the winners of the 2024 Bayer China Scientific Research Collaboration Awards. The awards include several prestigious categories such as the “Bayer Chair Professor,” “Bayer Fellow,” “Bayer Scientific Research Translation Fund,” and “Bayer Postdoctoral Fellowship.”1 The Bayer China Scientific Research Collaboration Awards aim to recognize and fund outstanding scholars who have made exceptional contributions in the fields of life sciences, medicine, and drug development through close collaboration with China’s top universities. By strengthening communication and cooperation between the pharmaceutical industry and academia, the initiative seeks to promote the application of fundamental scientific research to new drug development, thereby ensuring that scientific achievements benefit patients at the earliest possible stage.
This year, Professor Yan Chunhua from the College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering at Peking University and Professor Qian Feng from the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Tsinghua University were awarded the title of “Bayer Chair Professor.” Meanwhile, following selection by a joint steering committee composed of Bayer experts and senior scholars from these two top Chinese universities, nine scientists from Peking University and Tsinghua University received the 2024 “Bayer Fellow” award. Assistant Professor Ma Kai from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Tsinghua University, Associate Professor Liu Zhihua from the School of Basic Medical Sciences, and Associate Professor Wang Xia from the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences were granted funding under the 2024 “Bayer Research Translation Fund” to carry out research projects. In addition, three outstanding young scholars from Peking University were awarded the 2024 “Bayer Postdoctoral Fellowship.”
Li Qi, Vice President of Bayer’s Prescription Drug Division, Head of the International R&D Beijing Center, and Head of Regulatory Science and Registration Affairs in China, together with Professor Wang Hongwei, Vice President of Tsinghua University, presented the “Bayer Chair Professorship” to Professor Qian Feng of the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Tsinghua University.
As a member of the Joint Steering Committee, Dr. Anastasia Hager, Senior Vice President of Global R&D and Head of Drug Discovery Sciences at Bayer Pharmaceuticals Division, stated: “I would like to congratulate all Chinese scientists who have received the Bayer China Research Collaboration Award. It is your relentless exploration that drives the rapid enhancement of China’s capabilities in basic scientific research and innovation. We are proud that Bayer was among the first multinational pharmaceutical companies to establish collaborations with local research institutions and universities in China. In China, a key global source of innovation, we have long been committed to identifying cutting-edge innovations and actively exploring in-depth cooperation with research institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and other stakeholders, thereby helping Chinese innovations make greater contributions to the global pharmaceutical industry and patient well-being.”
As a key component of its long-term commitment in China, Bayer places high importance on and continuously focuses on local scientific research collaboration, vigorously supporting source innovation and the translation of new drug R&D in China. The company established long-term strategic research partnerships with Tsinghua University in 2009 and Peking University in 2014, respectively. These initiatives not only pioneered scientific collaboration between multinational pharmaceutical companies and Chinese academic institutions but also set a benchmark for the synergistic development and collaborative innovation of “industry-academia-research.”
Wang Wei, Vice President of Bayer Group’s Pharmaceuticals Division and Head of Medical Affairs China, and Professor Wang Hongwei, Vice President of Tsinghua University, Present the “Bayer Research Translation Fund” Award
As a member of the Joint Steering Committee and the recipient of the 2018 “Bayer Chair Professor” award, Professor Wang Hongwei, Vice President of Tsinghua University, stated: “The sixteen-year strategic partnership between Tsinghua University and Bayer has profoundly promoted the integration of scientific spirit with industrial practice. Leveraging Tsinghua’s disciplinary and platform advantages in the life sciences, both parties have explored a new path of deep integration and win-win development in academic exchange, talent cultivation, and scientific research collaboration, achieving a series of breakthroughs in frontier areas such as target discovery and peptide drug development. This has not only propelled Tsinghua’s related disciplines to the forefront of the international stage but also facilitated the optimization and upgrading of Bayer’s global product pipeline. Meanwhile, Tsinghua University continues to integrate interdisciplinary resources to accelerate the translation of research findings from the laboratory to clinical applications. Looking ahead, Tsinghua University expects to deepen its cooperation with Bayer in the following aspects: First, focus on key areas such as oncology, immunology, rare diseases, and precision cardiovascular therapy to accelerate the validation of original targets and the development of novel therapies; second, strengthen the integrated application of artificial intelligence and multi-omics technologies to establish a new data-driven paradigm for drug R&D; and third, rely on the Tsinghua University School of Medicine and Bayer Co.Lab to build a full-chain ecosystem encompassing ‘basic research–technology incubation–industrial implementation.’ We firmly believe that by relentlessly promoting collaborative innovation across ‘industry, academia, research, and medicine,’ both parties will jointly tackle major disease challenges and provide more groundbreaking solutions for patients worldwide. After sixteen years of cooperation, our original aspiration remains steadfast; on this new journey, we embrace our mission with responsibility. In the future, Tsinghua University, with a more open attitude and forward-looking layout, will join hands with Bayer to write a new chapter in transnational innovative cooperation, contributing Chinese wisdom and global value to the cause of human health!”
As a member of the Joint Steering Committee and the recipient of the 2022 “Bayer Chair Professor” award, Professor Chen Xuemei, Dean of the College of Life Sciences at Peking University, stated: “The journey of scientific research collaboration between Peking University and Bayer has spanned over a decade. We have walked side by side in talent development, academic exchange, and scientific innovation, achieving remarkable results. Leveraging its profound academic heritage and spirit of innovation, Peking University actively integrates resources from all sectors. Through cutting-edge discipline construction and an excellent talent cultivation system, the university continues to inject sustained vitality into technological innovation. Looking ahead, we look forward to further deepening our exploration with Bayer in key areas such as oncology, cardiorenal diseases, immunology, and cell and gene therapies. We aim to accelerate progress in frontier technical fields like the discovery and development of novel drug targets, jointly overcoming scientific challenges. In the grand endeavor of promoting human health, we will advance breakthroughs and progress in the biomedical field with more determined steps, bringing greater hope and well-being to patients worldwide, and jointly writing a glorious chapter for the cause of human health.”
Dai Xin, Vice President of Bayer’s Prescription Drugs Division and Head of Clinical Development in China, and Professor Chen Xuemei, Dean of the School of Life Sciences at Peking University, presented the “Bayer Chair Professor” award to Professor Yan Chunhua from the College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering at Peking University.
To date, more than 220 leading Chinese scientists and young scholars have been honored with awards such as the “Bayer Chair Professor” and “Bayer Fellow.” In addition to establishing the China Scientific Research Collaboration Award, Bayer’s research collaborations with the aforementioned two scientific institutions have yielded substantial results. To date, a total of 105 research projects have been conducted, covering target discovery and structural elucidation, studies on disease pathogenesis and mechanisms of drug action, drug screening, efficacy evaluation, exploration of novel molecular entities, new chemical synthesis methods, and innovative dosage forms. These projects span multiple therapeutic areas, including oncology and cardiovascular diseases.
About Bayer
As a multinational corporation, Bayer possesses core competencies in health and agriculture within the life sciences sector. Upholding its mission of “Health for all, Hunger for none,” the company is committed to helping people overcome the major challenges posed by global population growth and aging through its products and services, thereby contributing to human well-being and the prosperity of the planet. Bayer is dedicated to advancing sustainability and generating a positive impact through its business operations. Meanwhile, the Group enhances profitability and creates value through technological innovation and business growth. Worldwide, the Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability, and quality. In fiscal year 2024, Bayer employed approximately 93,000 people and generated sales of €46.6 billion. Research and development expenditure, excluding special items, amounted to €6.2 billion. For more information, please visitwww.bayer.com。
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements made by Bayer’s management team based on current assumptions and forecasts. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors may cause the company’s actual future operating results, financial position, development, or performance to differ materially from the estimates presented in such forward-looking statements. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports available on its official website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements or to adapt them to future events or developments.
Appendix: List of Winners of the 2024 Bayer China Research Collaboration Award
Peking University
Tsinghua University
