Zhou Tiankuang, an associate professor at Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT)'s School of Interdisciplinary Science, has recently won the 2026 Xplorer Prize in the frontier and interdisciplinary category, becoming the first recipient born after 1995 — and at 30, the youngest — in the award's history.

Zhou's research sits at the frontier between optics and artificial intelligence. Targeting the computing-power and algorithmic bottlenecks of the AI era, he works on photonic intelligent computing, neuromorphic computing and computational optics.

He has published multiple papers as first or corresponding author in Nature and Science, including their sub-journals, and holds more than 10 licensed patents at home and abroad. His representative work has been named among the "Top Ten Scientific Advances in China" by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

The Xplorer Prize is a public-interest prize funded by the New Cornerstone Science Foundation, with winners selected by a scientist-led review process. It is among the highest-value funding programs for young science and technology researchers in China, covering 10 fields — from mathematical physics, chemistry and new materials, and life sciences, to medical science, information and electronics, energy and environment, advanced manufacturing, transportation and architecture, and frontier interdisciplinary research. Eligible candidates are outstanding young scientists working full time in the Chinese mainland, as well as the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.

This year, the award announced a total of 50 young scientist winners. Up to 2026, the award has supported 397 outstanding early-career researchers since its launch.