Life Member Professor Alessandro Sepe has recently been honoured in China for his considerable accomplishments to the fields of science and technology. Since relocating to China in 2018, Professor Sepe has led the Scientific Computing Program at one of the National Laboratories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, namely the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF), Shanghai Advanced Research Institute (SARI), resulting in the deployment of the first Superfacility in China and one of the first worldwide. This Superfacility is capable of addressing the most challenging real-world scientific problems through scientific computing at large-scale multidisciplinary facilities, encompassing Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automation for Science, and accelerating the multidisciplinary research of all the national and international users at the SSRF, including universities, research institutes and industries. Furthermore, Professor Sepe promoted international exchanges and cooperation between China and other countries, while providing guidance, training and mentorship to numerous graduate students and young scholars in China.

These major contributions led to Professor Sepe being awarded the Friendship Award and Medal by the Chinese Central Government at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Comparable to the French Legion of Honour and the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, it is the highest and most prestigious honour bestowed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) upon foreign nationals who have made significant and exceptional contributions to China’s modernization, reform and development as a whole.

Prior to receiving this award, Professor Sepe had been elected a Fellow of the prestigious Royal Society of Chemistry in recognition of his work in advancing excellence in the sciences through state-of-the-art scientific computing. He had also received the prestigious Magnolia Award and Medal from the Shanghai Government in 2022, in recognition of the eminent contributions to Shanghai’s development and international cooperation, for promoting Shanghai’s growth into a science and technology innovation center with global influence, while supporting the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, Professor Sepe was awarded the I-LAMP Medal and Award by one of the Universities of Milano, Italy in 2019, for the outstanding academic career in Big Data Science applied to multidisciplinary science at large scientific facilities.

We wish Professor Sepe the best with all of his future endeavours!