Professor Andreas Heinrich Receives the 2025 Presidential Commendation for Advancement of Science and Technology.
- Date2025.04.25
- 11803
A global pioneering figure in the field of quantum mechanics of atoms on surfaces for more than 30 years.
Professor Andreas Heinrich from the department of physics, has been awarded the Presidential Commendation for Advancement of Science and Technology. The honor was awarded during the 2025 Science and ICT Day ceremony held on Monday, April 21, at the Korea Science and Technology Center to celebrate the 58th Science Day. Professor Heinrich, Chair Professor in the Department of Physics at Ewha Womans University and director of IBS Center for Quantum Nanoscience, was the only foreigner to receive the award among this year’s winners. Acting President Han Deok-soo himself presented the award.
Professor Heinrich is originally from Germany, he is a world-leading expert in the use of scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) for studying quantum mechanics at the atomic level on surface. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Göttingen in 1998 and conducted research for nearly twenty years at IBM’S Almaden Research Center in the United States. He came to Ewha Womans University in 2016, and he has contributed to fostering female scientists ever since.
Since 2017, Professor Heinrich has led the IBS Center for Quantum Nanoscience, which was established on Ewha campus, he focused on cutting-edge research in the field. He made important contributions to quantum technology, including development of qubit platforms and use of individual atoms, which are the smallest building blocks of matter, and the creation of quantum sensors with atomic-scale spatial resolution. He also played an important role in training future scientists at Ewha, especially in basic science and tried to science activities to reach the general public. His research in nanoscience made him earn many accolades, including the Joseph F. Keithly Award in 2017, the Feynman Prize in 2018, and the Humboldt Research Award in 2023.
This award is a national recognition of his long research and leadership, especially his part in contributing to the development of Korean-style quantum information platform and atomically resolved quantum sensors. He is expected to continue making important contributions to the advancement of basic science and quantum technology.