International conference honours Bradford polymer engineering professor
The University of Bradford has hosted the international P70 conference, bringing polymer engineering experts together from across the world.
Over 130 international colleagues came from academia, industry and government to celebrate the 70th birthday of Professor Phil Coates FREng, and the award-winning innovative science and international collaboration he has helped to promote over the past 40 years.
Mr Qin Zhu, the Deputy Head and Minister of the Chinese Embassy in the UK, attended the conference. He said: “I would like to pay particular tribute to Professor Phil Coates as a world-renowned scientist. In the last decade, he has personally engaged in deepening cooperation with China, and the 2017 International Science and Technology Cooperation Award made himfamous across China.
“He has become an iconic figure of UK-China cooperation in Science and Technology as a result of his outstanding achievements and important contribution to China-UK cooperation.”
Earlier this year Professor Coates, Professor of Polymer Engineering at the University of Bradford, was recognised with China’s highest award for a foreign scientist, one of only six British winners of the award in history. He received the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award from President Xi Jinping in a ceremony held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Professor Coates said: “I quote Isaac Newton: 'People build too many walls and not enough bridges' - so we will build more bridges, and cross them! Our Science Bridges China programme has created people bridges, achieving a great community. But there are more things to do."
Professor Coates announced the launch of a new international network of leading polymer research groups worldwide, Polymer Engineering International, and new UK-China research exchanges funded by the UK research council EPSRC.
