On 20thSeptember 2022, world-renowned scientists, the engineer Prof. YangQuan Chen and the neuroscientist Prof. Michel Salzet received the International Prize of the Slovak Academy of Sciences from the President of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS) Prof. Pavel Šajgalík at a ceremonial event in the Primate's Palace in Bratislava. The prize is awarded by the SAS Scientific Council once a year, on the occasion of Slovakia Constitution Day, and is a special expression of recognition for excellent scientific work related to Slovakia.

Professor YangQuan Chen from the University of California, an expert in the field of modelling, process control, robotics and mechatronics, became the SAS International Prize laureate in the field of technical sciences for 2021. In his research, among other things, he deals with the topic of autonomous vehicles, unmanned aircraft, signal processing, telecommunications, energy and the use of water resources. The common basis for his research is the use of mathematical methods, especially derivation and integration of non-integer order.

"Professor Chen is the author of more than 700 scientific papers, which have been cited more than 21,000 times worldwide. His h-index has a value of 70 and from 2018 to 2021 he was included in the lists of the most cited researchers in the world," emphasizes Prof. Chen´s long-time associate Prof. Igor Podlubný from the Technical University of Košice (TUKE).

The research team of the TUKE Faculty of Mining, Ecology, Process Control and Geotechnologies, called FOSFOC – Fractional-Order Systems and Fractional-Order Controllers, cooperating with Prof. Chen, is led by academics of the Learned Society of Slovakia, Prof. Ivo Petráš and Prof. Igor Podlubný. Professor Chen, in cooperation with his colleagues from Slovakia, also contributed to the introduction of several subjects from his field of research into syllabuses all over the world and in Slovakia. Subjects such as "Fractional Differential Equations and Applications", "Fractional-Order Control" and "Fractional-Order Mechanics" have become part of study programmes at universities in the USA, Germany, Spain, Great Britain, Italy, Belgium, Poland, Estonia, Norway and other countries. In Slovakia, it was primarily at the Technical University of Košice.

The SAS International Prize in the field of Natural Sciences for 2022 was awarded to the neuroscientist and oncologist Prof. Michel Salzet from the University of Lille in France.

"Professor Salzet belongs to the leading international scientific authorities in the field of neurosciences and oncology. He is an excellent scientist with valuable personal and visionary qualities. He combines his knowledge in biology, immunology, proteomics and biophysics with technical thinking, which brings a new perspective and experimental challenges that significantly advance scientific knowledge," explains the director of the SAS Neuroimmunology Institute, (NI SAS) Norbert Žilka.

Prof. Salzet's positive relationship with Slovakia is also proven by his extensive cooperation with NI SAS, and with the University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy (UVMP) in Košice. In 2020, he received the M.R. Štefánik Prize together with Prof. Dáša Čížková (NI SAS and UVMP) awarded by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic and the French Embassy for a project focused on new procedures for the treatment of spinal cord injuries.

Prof. Salzet is the founder of a unique laboratory in which he and his collaborators develop new technologies, diagnostic tools and new treatments. "Prof. Salzet´s scientific contributions cross the boundaries of scientific disciplines, introduce innovative approaches and open new research perspectives," adds N. Žilka.

The SAS International Prize is an award given annually, always in one of three categories: the field of Society and Culture, the field of Natural Sciences and the field of Technical Sciences. The list of laureates of the SAS International Prize since 1997 is available at: https://bit.ly/laureati_MCSAV.

Text and photo: Katarína Gáliková
Source: SAS - News