On April 7, the 736th lecture for Nanqiang Platform was held in Xiamen University. Yongkui Sun, the alumnus of Xiamen University, a foreignMember of National Academy of Engineering USA, gave a speech on “Unconventional Thinking Driven Efficient Synthesis of Novel Therapeutics”, in which he introduced the audience to the knowledge of synthesis of novel therapeutics and shared his perspective on the pharmaceutical industry. According to him, medicine is produced for the goodness of human beings, instead of for profit. To invent a new medicine does not mean to bring it to successful completion. We should further seek an effective way to make the best use of the invention to benefit all the human beings.
Profile: Dr. Yongkui Sun graduated from Department of Chemistry of Xiamen University (BS 1982) and from Caltech with a Ph.D. degree in chemistry (1990). He has co-authored 73 publications in journals including JACS, PNAS and Science. Dr. Yongkui Sun was a member of the teams receiving the Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award (New jersey R&D Council) in 2009, the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards in 2005 and in 2006 (Environmental Protection Agency, Washington DC), Institute of Chemical Engineers' AstraZeneca Award for Excellence in Green Chemistry and Engineering in 2005 (London). In 2006, Dr. Sun received the Presidential Fellows Award in Merck Research Laboratories in recognition of his scientific contributions and leadership.
Dr. Yongkui Sun is now the director of Xiamen University Alumni Association in US. He was a classmate and roomate of Tian Zhongqun and Sun Shigang, members of Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Nanqiang Platform is a platform that Xiamen University set up for distinguished people in China or the world to share their knowledge and achievements with students of the university.