World Sustainability Award
2026 Recipient
Distinguished Prof Zongping Shao | 2026 WSA Winner
The MDPI Sustainability Foundation is pleased to recognize Professor Zongping Shao, John Curtin Distinguished Professor at Curtin University, Australia, with the World Sustainability Award for his pioneering contributions to sustainable energy materials and technologies. Professor Shao has dedicated his career to advancing technologies that enable a zero-carbon, sustainable future. His research spans air separation membranes, solid oxide fuel cells, electrochemical energy storage, green hydrogen production, and high-efficiency solar cells—innovations accelerating the global transition to cleaner energy systems.
Professor Shao received his Ph.D. in 2000 from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, and has held research appointments at IRC-CNRS (France), the California Institute of Technology (USA), Nanjing University of Technology (China), and Monash University (Australia). As Founding Director of the Curtin Centre for Advanced Energy Materials and Technologies, he leads work on critical materials for shifting from fossil fuels to renewables. He is the inventor of the mixed oxygen-ion and electronic conducting perovskite material Ba₀.₅Sr₀.₅Co₀.₈Fe₀.₂O₃, which significantly lowered the operating temperature of solid oxide fuel cells to around 600°C, improving efficiency and durability and strengthening commercial viability. He also developed membrane-based direct seawater electrolysis for green hydrogen production, enabling hydrogen generation without freshwater use, and his team has advanced flexible silicon-based solar cells with record-breaking efficiencies.
Widely regarded as a global leader in energy materials, Professor Shao has published more than 1,000 scientific papers, including five in Nature. His work has received over 100,000 citations and achieved an H-index of 154, with 92 publications recognized as Highly Cited Papers by Web of Science. He has also been named a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher for multiple years, including recognition in 2025 across Chemistry, Materials Science, and Environmental & Ecology, reflecting the international impact and influence of his research.
Beyond his scientific achievements, Professor Shao is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of researchers. He has supervised more than 200 students and research fellows, many of whom now hold academic leadership positions worldwide, including over 40 who have become professors or associate/assistant professors across Australia, the United States, South Korea, and China.
Through visionary research, technological innovation, and dedicated mentorship, Professor Shao exemplifies the mission of the MDPI Sustainability Foundation and the World Sustainability Award—advancing sustainable energy solutions and driving progress toward a zero-carbon society.
Professor Shao received his Ph.D. in 2000 from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, and has held research appointments at IRC-CNRS (France), the California Institute of Technology (USA), Nanjing University of Technology (China), and Monash University (Australia). As Founding Director of the Curtin Centre for Advanced Energy Materials and Technologies, he leads work on critical materials for shifting from fossil fuels to renewables. He is the inventor of the mixed oxygen-ion and electronic conducting perovskite material Ba₀.₅Sr₀.₅Co₀.₈Fe₀.₂O₃, which significantly lowered the operating temperature of solid oxide fuel cells to around 600°C, improving efficiency and durability and strengthening commercial viability. He also developed membrane-based direct seawater electrolysis for green hydrogen production, enabling hydrogen generation without freshwater use, and his team has advanced flexible silicon-based solar cells with record-breaking efficiencies.
Widely regarded as a global leader in energy materials, Professor Shao has published more than 1,000 scientific papers, including five in Nature. His work has received over 100,000 citations and achieved an H-index of 154, with 92 publications recognized as Highly Cited Papers by Web of Science. He has also been named a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher for multiple years, including recognition in 2025 across Chemistry, Materials Science, and Environmental & Ecology, reflecting the international impact and influence of his research.
Beyond his scientific achievements, Professor Shao is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of researchers. He has supervised more than 200 students and research fellows, many of whom now hold academic leadership positions worldwide, including over 40 who have become professors or associate/assistant professors across Australia, the United States, South Korea, and China.
Through visionary research, technological innovation, and dedicated mentorship, Professor Shao exemplifies the mission of the MDPI Sustainability Foundation and the World Sustainability Award—advancing sustainable energy solutions and driving progress toward a zero-carbon society.
