On April 2, it was announced that Cao Jun, a researcher at the Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences won the 2012

Prof. Cao Jun from the Institute of High Energy Physics

Cao has been working on Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment since 2003 and now is the co-spokesperson. He was one of the initiators of the experiment and contributed the major efforts in the experiment design. He led the neutrino detector design and fabrication, as well as the liquid scintillator production. Cao led the data analysis of Daya Bay, which measured the smallest neutrino mixing angle theta13 in early 2012 and opened a gateway to the future study of CP violation in neutrino oscillation.

The idea to create the AAPPS (Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies) Prize or Award was first discussed at the Third Council meeting held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in August 1992.It was recognized important to encourage young physicists in the Asia/Pacific region and to activate the region around. The idea of the AAPPS Award was approved in second term of the AAPPS Council (1994 - 1997).

Professor Chen Ning Yang was the chairperson of the ad hoc group for formation of the AAPPS from 1988 to August 1990 and served as the first president of the AAPPS from 11 August 1990 to 2 July 1994. He worked as a council member of the AAPPS in the second term and retired from the council in the end of 1997. The council acknowledged his long-standing contribution for the AAPPS and the AAPPS Award of Physics was renamed as the AAPPS Chen Ning Yang Award.