Getting to Know the Croucher Foundation
From June 14 to 16, 2024, Prof. Jijian Xu contributed to the 2024 Croucher Advanced Study Institute (ASI) on Electrochemical Energy Storage. As a session chair, he invited three international researchers and helped foster meaningful dialogue among leading experts in the field. The three-day event brought together top scientists to exchange ideas and address critical challenges in energy storage.
2024年6月14日至16日，徐吉健有幸参与了2024裘槎前沿研究学院（ASI）电化学能源存储专题研讨会的组织工作。作为会议主持人之一，他邀请了三位来自海外的研究人员，并积极推动与能源领域顶尖专家的深入交流。为期三天的研讨会汇集世界各地的科学家，共同探讨能源存储面临的重大挑战，分享创新思路，探索合作可能。
That event also marked Prof. Xu’s first encounter with the Croucher Foundation—an independent institution dedicated to advancing science, technology, and medicine in Hong Kong. Learning about its mission and impact left a strong impression on him, especially its guiding motto: “Stay in the loop!”
徐吉健正是通过此次研讨会初识裘槎基金会。作为一家致力于推动香港自然科学、技术与医学发展的独立机构，裘槎基金会的使命与影响力给他留下了深刻印象，尤其是其富有象征意义的标语：“Stay in the loop!”
Honored with the Croucher Innovation Award
On May 12, 2025, Prof. Jijian Xu was awarded the Croucher Innovation Award—one of Hong Kong’s most competitive and substantial research awards for early-career faculty. Established to empower rising stars at Hong Kong universities, the award provides multi-year support to bold, independent scientific exploration. Prof. Xu received the award following a rigorous nomination process, including university-level selection and a final interview conducted by the Croucher Foundation.
经过严格的遴选程序，包括校内提名、评审，以及裘槎基金会组织的最终面试，2025年5月12日，徐吉健正式获得2025年度裘槎前瞻科研奖。这是香港面向高校青年教师设立的最具竞争力与分量的科研资助项目之一，旨在支持获奖者开展长期、独立且具有前瞻性的科研探索。
This prestigious honor recognizes his pioneering work on high-performance batteries for green energy storage, capable of operating reliably across a wide temperature range—from –40 °C to 80 °C. Our team is working to build on this foundation, helping lay the groundwork for safer, more sustainable, and more accessible energy storage technologies for the future.
这项荣誉旨在表彰他在研发高性能绿色储能电池方面的关键贡献——这些电池能在–40°C至80°C的极端温度范围内稳定工作。课题组也将在此基础上持续探索，推动未来储能技术向更安全、更可持续、更易普及的方向不断发展。
Staying in the Loop: Looking Ahead
The Croucher Innovation Award not only celebrates Prof. Xu’s past achievements but also marks a new chapter in our lab’s research journey. With the Foundation’s support, our team will continue advancing battery science, focusing on novel electrolytes and electrode materials to drive breakthroughs in electrochemical energy systems that meet real-world needs.
裘槎前瞻科研奖不仅是对徐吉健过往科研成果的高度认可，也标志着课题组研究历程的新起点。在裘槎基金会的支持下，我们将继续深入探索新型电解质与电极材料，推动电化学能源系统的技术突破，切实响应现实应用需求。
As we move forward, we remain committed to innovation that bridges science and society—staying in the loop, staying inspired.
未来，我们将以科学服务社会，秉持创新精神，始终“Stay in the loop”。
About the Croucher Innovation Awards
The Croucher Tak Wah Mak Innovation Awards are among Hong Kong’s most prestigious research funding schemes, offering HKD 5 million over five years to support early-career scientists on the tenure track. These awards are designed to empower recipients to pursue bold, independent research and contribute to the development of science and education in Hong Kong.
裘槎德华麦创新科研奖是香港最具声望的科研资助计划之一，旨在支持香港高校中处于教研初期阶段的青年科学家。该奖项为期五年，资助总额高达500万港元，鼓励获奖者开展独立、创新的研究工作，并推动香港科学与教育的发展。
Recipients are selected based on their internationally competitive track record and demonstrated excellence as independent researchers.
候选者需在研究领域取得具有国际竞争力的杰出成绩，并展现出作为独立研究人员的卓越潜力与学术领导力。
🔗 Learn more: Croucher Innovation Awards – Official Website
Related Coverage
- CityU Chemistry Department — “Prof. Jijian Xu Wins Prestigious Croucher Innovation Award”
- CityU Main Newsroom — “CityU Researchers Win Croucher Innovation Awards 2025”
- Croucher Foundation Official Website — “Four Emerging Research Leaders Earn Croucher Innovation Awards”
Cover photo courtesy of the Croucher Foundation.