Under extreme high pressure, atoms in matter are squeezed closer together, revealing new structures and properties not seen under ordinary conditions—insulators turn into conductors, soft materials become superhard. Akun Liang's research focuses on replicating such extreme conditions in the laboratory to explore the other side of matter.

Recently, at the 63rd European High Pressure Research Group (EHPRG) Meeting held in France, the EHPRG announced the recipient of the 2026 EHPRG Award. Akun Liang, Assistant Professor in the College of Science at the Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo (EIT), received the award.

Akun Liang (right) receives the certificate of award from EHPRG President Matteo Ceppatelli (left)

The EHPRG Award Committee stated that Liang was recognized for his pioneering contributions to understanding the high-pressure behavior of metal iodates, establishing structure–property relationships and general principles for bandgap engineering, as well as for synthesizing novel transition metal nitrides and carbonitrides under high-temperature, high-pressure conditions—revealing chemical reactions achievable only under such extreme conditions. He is also the first Chinese winner of the award since its establishment in 1989, marking the first time a Chinese scholar has won this international honor.

The EHPRG Award was established by the European High Pressure Research Group in 1989 and is presented annually to one young scientist, with the aim of promoting high-quality high-pressure research and encouraging young scientists and engineers to pursue careers in high-pressure science. Previous recipients have come primarily from leading European research institutions and universities such as the University of Edinburgh, the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), the University of Bayreuth, and ETH Zurich, making the award highly competitive.

Akun Liang is the first Chinese recipient of the award since its inception

This award marks Liang's second major international young scientist award in the field of high-pressure science, following his receipt of the Jamieson Award from the International Association for the Advancement of High Pressure Science and Technology (AIRAPT) in 2023. It underscores the growing international profile of young scholars at EIT in the fields of extreme-condition physics and novel materials research.