XIEG’s PIFI Visiting Scientist Wins 2022 Tianshan Prize for Foreign Experts

Recently, professor Bozorov Tohir, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) President’s International Fellowship Initiative (PIFI) visiting scientist with Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG), CAS, was awarded the 2022 Tianshan Prize by Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The award is set by the autonomous regional government to commend foreign experts who have come to work in Xinjiang and made outstanding contributions.

Professor Tohir (first from left) and his team pose for a group photo in a laboratory.

Bozorov Tohir is the director and academic leader of the Central Laboratory of the Institute of Genetics and Plant Experimental Biology of Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences. He has long been engaged in the research of plant-pathogen defense response and interaction mechanism, and has mastered the cutting-edge theories and technologies of microbial isolation and identification, metabonomics, physiological and biochemical level analysis, metagenomics, etc. He is a leading figure in the field of plant-pathogen defense response and pest control. Up till now, he has published 24 SCI papers, including 12 with him as the first author. He has also won four invention patents in Uzbekistan.

Bozorov Tohir has actively carried out plant-pest interaction and prevention for wild fruit trees in the Tianshan Mountains. Through inviting foreign scientists to the XIEG and going global for international exchanges, Professor Tohir has served as a bridge for international cooperation and played a key role in co-organizing many international academic seminars, making outstanding contribution to improving the global influence of the institute.

Focusing on its main responsibilities and research priorities and following a demand orientation, the XIEG has increased efforts in attracting talents in an all-round way, improved substantial results of talent introduction, and precisely invited urgently needed and highly talented professionals of advanced and sophisticated technology. As of December 2022, 97 foreign experts at XIEG approved the CAS President’s International Fellowship Initiative, involving 27 countries, including Distinguished Scientists, Visiting Scientists and postdoctoral researchers. During work in Xinjiang, three foreign experts won the "Friendship Award of the Chinese Government", one foreign expert won the " International Partnership Award for CAS Young Scientists ", and eight foreign experts won the "Tianshan Prize".