Prof. Longhua Hu from SKLFS, was awarded the ‘‘XPLORER PRIZE’’ of 2024. The XPLORER PRIZE, established in 2018, is a non-governmental and public interest award initiated by the New Cornerstone Science Foundation. The prize, which grants a total of 3 million CNY money award to each winner, aims to support young talents in exploring uncharted scientific territories. It covers ten fields of fundamental science and frontier technology, including Mathematics and Physics, Chemistry and New Materials, Astronomy and Geoscience, Life Sciences, Medical Sciences, Information and Electronics Technologies, Energy and Environmental Sciences, Advanced Manufacturing, Transportation and Architecture, Advanced Interdisciplinary Sciences. Each year, no more than 50 scientists are selected. This year, Prof. Hu is one of the four awardees selected in the field of Energy and Environmental Sciences. He is the first fire scientist that receives this prize.

Prof. Hu is a Fellow of The Combustion Institute, a recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars and the National Special Support Program for Science and Technology Innovation Leadership Talent of China. He has been committed to research on fire dynamics under wind, sub-atmospheric pressure and microgravity, with over 200 papers published in respected journals such as Progress in Energy and Combustion Science, Combustion and Flame, Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, Fire Safety Journal. Prof. Hu has held various academic positions, including IAFSS Vice-Chair (2017-2023), member of the Silver Medal Committee of The Combustion Institute, Fire Research Colloquia Co-Chair at 38th Combustion Symposium, Awards Committee Co-Chair at 14th IAFSS Symposium, Program Committee Chair at 13th AOSFST. He also serves as an Associate Editor of Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology, Editorial Board Members of Fire Safety Journal, and Fire Technology.

Under the support from the XPLORER PRIZE, Prof. Hu will explore the new discoveries, knowledge and theories of fire science, including ignition, fire spread and extinction fundamentals under special gravitational environments, providing a scientific foundation for the fire safety of future space exploration missions, and advancing the scope of human knowledge on fire science towards various special gravities in space.