HKIAS Senior Fellow Professor Sir John B. Pendry Receives the 2024 Kyoto Prize

The Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study (HKIAS) is pleased to share that Professor Sir John Pendry, our HKIAS Senior Fellow and Professor of Theoretical Solid State Physics at Imperial College London, has been awarded the 2024 Kyoto Prize in Advanced Technology for his contribution to the Theoretical Construction of Metamaterials in Materials Science.

Expressing his gratitude, Professor Sir John Pendry stated, “I am deeply honored to be awarded the Kyoto Prize, one of the most prestigious in science. Few achievements are made in isolation, and I take this opportunity to thank my students, collaborators, and colleagues who contributed to the work for which this award is made.”

Professor Pendry is renowned for his groundbreaking work in the field of “metamaterials,” which has revolutionized the scientific and technological landscape. His discovery of transformation optics, a theory that shows how to design metamaterials that can bend, twist, and redirect electromagnetic fields around any object, creates a cloak of invisibility. This groundbreaking concept has been successfully demonstrated in various experiments, operating at radar and visible wavelengths, and has paved the way for creating new materials with widespread social applications.

Professor Sir John Pendry is our HKIAS Senior Fellow. He received his Ph.D. in Solid State Theory from the University of Cambridge in 1969. He began his career in the Cavendish Laboratory and later worked at Downing College, Bell Laboratories and Daresbury Laboratory. Since 1981, he has been the Chair in Theoretical Solid State Physics in the Imperial College London where he has served as Head of Physics Department (1998-2001), and subsequently Principal of the Faculty of Physical Sciences (2001-2002).

The Kyoto Prize recognizes individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the fields of science and technology, as well as the arts and philosophy. It is presented in the three categories of Advanced Technology, Basic Sciences, and Arts and Philosophy. Each laureate is presented with a diploma, a Kyoto Prize medal, and prize money of 100 million yen per category (equivalent to around HKD4.95 million). The award ceremony will take place on November 10, 2024, at the Kyoto International Conference Center.

Read more at 2024 Kyoto Prize.