Guochun Zhao (赵国春)

 

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Professor Guochun Zhao (赵国春) 趙國春

Title:
Professor, Chair of Earth Sciences
Professor
Mok Sau-King Professor

Contact Information
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Professor Guochun Zhao (赵国春) 趙國春

Title:
Professor, Chair of Earth Sciences
Professor
Mok Sau-King Professor

Research Interests:(click to check for cognate researchers)

Also Cited As:
Zhao, G

Short Biography:

Guochun Zhao is now a Chair Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, the University of Hong Kong (HKU), specialising in metamorphic petrology, Precambrian geology, and planetary geology. Having published 520 scientific papers and been cited 76,044 times (H-index = 147), he has shaped the understanding of Earth’s early evolution and continental assembly. He was elected as a member of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2019, a fellow of the World Academy of Sciences for the Advancement of Science in Developing Countries in 2021, a member of Hong Kong Academy of Sciences in 2023, and Mok Sau King Professor in HKU in 2025. In the 2025 Best Scientists Rankings by Research.com, Professor Zhao stands 6th in the world and 1st in China and Asia in Earth Sciences. 

Awards, prizes and honors:

2025: Mok Sau-King Endowed Professorship

2023: Member (Academician) of Hong Kong Academy of Sciences

2021: Distinguished Research Achievement Award (DRAA) of the University of Hong Kong

2020: Fellow (Academician) of The World Academy of Science (TWAS) for the Advancement of Science in Developing Countries

2019: Member (Academician) of Chinese Academy of Science

2018: TWAS Prize in Earth, Astronomy and Space Sciences from The World Academy of Science

2017: Chair Professorship of Changjiang Scholars Program

2016: 29th Khwarizmi International Award (First Class)

2016: Outstanding Researcher Award of the University of Hong Kong

2014: State Natural Science Award (2nd Class; First Awardee)

2014: Fellow of Geological Society of America

2014-2025: Highly Cited Researchers

2004: The National Science Fund for Distinguished Oversea Young Scholars

Professional Qualifications
Biography
Guochun Zhao is now a Chair Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences, the University of Hong Kong (HKU), and the Chair Professor of Changjiang Scholar Scheme in the Department of Geology, Northwest University (Xi’An). He earned Bachelor and Master degrees from Changchun University of Earth Sciences (now merged into Jilin University) in 1985 and 1988, respectively. Thereafter, he had worked in Changchun University of Earth Sciences until 1996 when he went to Curtin University to pursue a PhD degree. In 2000, he received his PhD degree with “Outstanding PhD Thesis Award” from Curtin University. Since August 2000, he has been working in the Department of Earth Sciences at HKU. Prof. Zhao’s main research fields are metamorphic petrology, Precambrian geology and supercontinents in Earth’s history. His main research findings include discoveries of two 1.95-1.85 billion years old Himalaya-type continental collisional belts, named the Khondalite Belt and the Trans-North China Orogen in the North China Craton, and he is the first person to propose that global-scale 2.0-1.8 billion years old collisional events led to the assembly of the pre-Rodinia supercontinent, later named “Columbia or Nuna”. Recently, as Principal Investigator (PI), he undertook a NSFC Major Project entitled “Reconstructions of East Asian continents in Pangea” in which he used geological and Paleomagnetic data to reconstruct the Paleogeographic locations of East Asian blocks from the breakup of supercontinent Rodinia at ~750 Ma to the assembly of supercontinent Pangea at 250-220 Ma. Since 1998, he has published more than 520  papers, cited for 75,273 times with H-index = 145. Professor Zhao has received many awards, prizes and honors, including State Natural Science Award (2nd Class; First Awardee; 2014), Fellow of Geological Society of America (2014), Highly Cited Researcher (2014-2024), Outstanding Researcher Award of the University of Hong Kong (2016), 29th Khwarizmi International Award (First Class; 2016), Chair Professorship of Cheung Kong (Changjiang) Scholars Program (2017), Thousand Talents Plan (Short Term) (2017), TWAS Prize in Earth, Astronomy and Space Sciences from The World Academy of Science (2018), Member (Academician) of Chinese Academy of Science (2019), Member (Fellow) of The World Academy of Science for the Advancement in Developing Countries (2021), Distinguished Research Achievement Award (DRAA), The University of Hong Kong (2021), and Member (Academician) of Hong Kong Academy of Sciences (2023). Professor Zhao was the Editor-in-Chief of Precambrian Research (2010-2021), a leading international journal in earth sciences. In the 2025 Best Scientists Rankings, compiled by Research.com, Professor Guochun ZHAO stands 6th in the world and 1st Asia in Earth Sciences.

 

 
Honours, Awards & Prizes
AwardeesAward DateHonours / Awards / PrizesCategory
2005-01-01Young Researcher Award: China NSFC
Research Achievement
2015-12-01State Natural Science Award (2nd Class; First Awardee): State Council of P.R.China
Research Achievement
2014-08-01Highly Cited Researcher (2014): Thomson Reuters
Research Achievement
2014-06-01World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds 2014: Thomson Reuters
Research Achievement
2014-04-01Fellow of Geological Society of America (GSA): Geological Society of America (GSA)
Research Achievement
2016-03-0129th Khwarizmi International Award (First Class, Foreign Section): Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology (IROST)
Research Achievement
2015-08-01Highly Cited Researcher (2015): Thomson Reuters
Research Achievement
2016-08-01Highly Cited Researcher (2016): Thomson Reuters
Research Achievement
2016-12-01Outstanding Researcher Award (ORA): The University of Hong Kong
Research Achievement
2016-12-01Cheung Kong (Changjiang) Chair Professorship: Ministry of Education, P.R. China
Research Achievement
2016-12-01The National Distinguished Expert (Short Term) of The Thousand Talents Plan: Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, China
Research Achievement
2016-12-01Thousand Talents Plan - Innovative Talents Recruitment Program (Short Term): Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, China
Research Achievement
2018-01-012018 TWAS Prize in Earth, Astronomy and Space Sciences: THE WORLD ACADEMY OF SCIENCESfor the advancement of science in developing countries
Research Achievement
2019-11-01Member (Academician) of Chinese Academy of Science: Chinese Academy of Science
Research Achievement
2018-12-01Natural Science Award (First Class): Ministry of Education, China
Research Achievement
2020-12-20Fellow (Academician) of The World Academy of Science (TWAS) for the Advancement of Science in Developing Countries
Research Achievement
2022-04-25Distinguished Research Achievement Award (DRAA), The University of Hong Kong
Research Achievement
2023-11-28Member (Academician) of The Hong Kong Academy of Sciences
Research Achievement
Professional Societies
Term PeriodPositionProfessional Societies
01/2001 - presentMemberGeological Society of Hong Kong
01/2006 - presentMember of Steering CommitteeInternational Association for Gondwana Research
01/2001 - presentMemberAmerican Geophysical Union
10/2005 - presentMemberChina Chapter of International Association for Gondwana Research
01/2000-12/2001MemberAustralian Geological Society
02/2009 - presentMemberGuangdong Provincial Society for Mineralogy Petrology and Gechemistry
01/2007 - presentMemberMineralogical Society of America
Media Contact Directory
Area of Expertise:
Area of Expertise (EN)Area of Expertise (ZH)
Precambrian geology前寒武紀地質學
Metamorphic petrology變質岩石學
Geochronology地質年代學
Spoken Languages:
Spoken Language(s) (EN)Spoken Language(s) (ZH)
Putonghua普通話
English英語
Written Languages:
Written Language(s) (EN)Written Language(s) (ZH)
English英文
Chinese中文
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