On July 10, UNESCO approved the decision of the international jury for the third UNESCO–Russia Mendeleev International Prize in the Basic Sciences. This year’s laureates are Professor Jian-Wei Pan (China) and Professor Sergei Sheiko (USA/Russia).
The jury recognised the two scientists for their outstanding contributions to the advancement of the basic sciences and their commitment to scientific progress for the benefit of humanity.
The prize is organised by UNESCO and the Russian Government with the participation of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Mendeleev Russian Chemical Society. PhosAgro is a partner of the third UNESCO–Russia Mendeleev International Prize in the Basic Sciences award ceremony, which will be held on 17 July 2026, at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.
Jian-Wei Pan (China) is a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and President of the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei. He received the prize for his pioneering contributions to experimental quantum teleportation and for developing the world's first secure satellite-based quantum communication technology, ushering in a new era of global quantum communications. Under his leadership, the world’s first quantum satellite, Micius (Mozi), was launched, and integrated space-to-ground quantum communication networks were created. His work is a brilliant example of the interconnection between fundamental scientific research and large-scale technological innovation.
Professor Sergei Sheiko (USA/Russia) is Head of the Biomimetic Polymers Laboratory at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (USA). He was honoured for his groundbreaking fundamental research in architectural macromolecular design and programming, which laid the foundation for a new generation of smart polymer materials with predetermined properties, shape memory, and self-healing capabilities. His pioneering research, published in leading journals, including Science and Nature, has opened new possibilities in biomedicine, robotics, and energy technologies.
“Russia is among the world's leading scientific powers. Thanks to the talent of our researchers, strong scientific foundations and outstanding achievements, our country ranks eighth globally in research and development. But truly great discoveries know no national borders. They become possible where science brings together people, ideas and cultures in pursuit of a common future. That is why preserving and expanding international scientific cooperation is of strategic importance. I congratulate the laureates of the UNESCO–Russia Mendeleev Prize. Your achievements are compelling proof that trust, open scientific dialogue, and the pooling of intellectual efforts make it possible to address the most complex challenges of our time,” Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko said.
“The prestigious Mendeleev Prize recognises painstaking fundamental research that forms the basis of cutting-edge technologies and innovative developments. It is important that this high recognition of scientific achievements inspires young people to pursue careers in research. We are proud that this Russian initiative promotes international recognition of outstanding scientists. It strengthens bridges of scientific cooperation and reaffirms that science knows no borders,” Minister of Science and Higher Education of Russia Valery Falkov added.
“This year, as UNESCO marks its 80th anniversary and the scientific community reflects on the 300th anniversary of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the presentation of the Mendeleev Prize takes on special symbolic significance. The selection of this year’s laureates once again confirms the prize’s high international standing and recognises breakthrough research that will shape tomorrow’s technological landscape,” President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Academician Gennady Krasnikov said.
“The UNESCO–Russia Mendeleev International Prize has become an important instrument for recognizing outstanding scientific achievements and a symbol of effective international cooperation. In 2019, the year of the 150th anniversary of the Periodic Table, UNESCO confirmed Dmitri Mendeleev and his discovery as one of the greatest symbols of world science. The establishment of this prize was a natural continuation of that recognition, and its presentation once again confirms the global significance of Mendeleev’s scientific legacy. It is especially gratifying that Professors Jian-Wei Pan and Sergei Sheiko now join the distinguished history of this award as pioneers whose fundamental discoveries have the potential to change the world. Remaining faithful to Mendeleev’s legacy, the Russian Chemical Society sees its mission both in preserving his invaluable scientific heritage and in promoting the ideals of science in a new era by supporting such achievements and inspiring future generations of researchers to pursue bold ideas and groundbreaking discoveries,” President of the Mendeleev Russian Chemical Society Academician Aslan Tsivadze commented.
About the Prize
The UNESCO – Russia Mendeleev International Prize in the Basic Sciences was established in 2019 for encouraging and incentivising academic achievements, popularising science and strengthening international scientific cooperation. Two scientists are simultaneously awarded the Prize for discoveries, innovations or for active promotion of basic sciences contributing to socioeconomic development. Every laureate receives $250,000, a gold medal and a diploma.
The Prize is named after the great Russian scientist Dmitry Mendeleev whose Periodic Table of Chemical Elements became one of the greatest scientific discoveries that laid the foundation for the development of modern chemistry, physics, biology and many other disciplines.
An international jury, appointed by the UNESCO Director-General, selects the laureates of the Prize. The jury consists of seven leading scientists from Spain, Germany, Russia, Mexico, India, Kenya and Morocco representing global influential scientific and educational organisations. This year, the jury included:
· Eugenio Coronado Miralles, Director of the Molecular Science Institute (ICMol) at the University of Valencia (Spain);
· Martin Möller, Senior Professor at RWTH Aachen University (Germany);
· Stepan Kalmykov, Academician and Vice President of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Russia);
· Ana María Cetto Kramis, Professor at the Institute of Physics, National Autonomous University of Mexico (Mexico);
· Krishna N. Ganesh, Professor (India);
· Faith Njoki Karanja, Professor at the University of Nairobi (Kenya);
· Farida Fassi, Vice President at the Moroccan Society for High Energy Physics (Morocco).
The history of the Prize
The first Prize was awarded in 2021, at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris to two prominent contemporary scientists-chemists – Head of Research at the Flerov Laboratory of Nuclear Reactions at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Yury Oganesyan, and Emeritus Professor of Chemistry at the University of Bologna Vincenzo Balzani (Italy).
The second Prize was awarded in 2023 in Moscow, to Head of the Laboratory of Organoelement Compounds at Lomonosov Moscow State University’s Department of Chemistry, Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor Irina Beletskaya, and Director Emeritus at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz Professor Klaus Müllen (Germany).
The official awards ceremony
The third official awards ceremony for the UNESCO – Russia Mendeleev International Prize in the Basic Sciences will take place on 17 July 2026, at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, with PhosAgro being the ceremony’s general partner.
Venue: The UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, France
Date: 17 July 2026
Time: 1 pm (Paris Time – UTC + 2)
Information about the ceremony’s live broadcast will be posted on the official UNESCO website’s Mendeleev Prize section shortly before the event. The ceremony will be broadcast in six languages.
More information about the Prize is posted on the official UNESCO website: https://www.unesco.org/en/prizes/mendeleev
