This year the Best Doctoral Award jury was composed of Professors Xie Kailing (University of Birmingham), Yuan Boping of (University of Cambridge) and Henrietta Harrison (University of Oxford), and we thank them for their time and work.
We had 10 submissions this year. The field was strong and the quality of the theses was excellent.
The winner, Ren Sijie, accepted the award at the BACS annual conference’s AGM and read out his winning statement. The title of his thesis is: “Science and Politics in Maoist China: The Synthetic Insulin Project and its Legacy.” To quote from his abstract:
“Science and politics were deeply interwoven during the Mao era. This thesis examines the synthetic insulin project, widely recognised Mao-era China’s most significant scientific achievements, to explore the complex interplay between political imperatives and scientific progress. This study seeks to understand how and why the synthetic insulin project was initiated, how it succeeded, and the broader implications of its success. Drawing various kinds of materials, this thesis provides a nuanced analysis of the motivations behind the synthetic insulin project. It argues that the project was driven by Maoist political movements and communist ideology, in conjunction with the influence of Western scientific developments in biochemistry, especially the discovery of the sequence and composition of insulin. The successful collaboration between well-trained scientists and moderate cadres within the Chinese Communist Party, coupled with a period of relative political stability, created a crucial window for scientific advancement. The synthesis of insulin, the world’s first synthetic crystalline protein, became a significant scientific milestone and a potent political symbol, offering valuable resources and narratives for the Chinese government. Through its exploration of this project, the thesis not only sheds light on the dynamics of Maoist China but also invites a rethinking of how scientific research can be deeply embedded within the political frameworks of their time. The study reveals the broader implications of the relationship between science and political forces in shaping national narratives and memories.“
Congratulations to Sijie!