Samuel Chao Chung Ting (left), a Chinese-American scientist and Nobel Prize laureate for Physics is appointed as the honorary director of the Shandong Institute of Advanced Technology on Nov 10. [Photo/dzwww.com]

The Shandong Institute of Advanced Technology was officially founded in Jinan, capital of East China's Shandong province, on Nov 10.

Officials said the institute will focus on the frontiers of basic research, such as the investigation of cosmic rays, and establishing a number of scientific platforms, including an AMS (Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer) data analysis center and a high-end research department for astrophysics.

The institute was initiated by Samuel Chao Chung Ting, a Chinese-American scientist and Nobel Prize laureate for Physics in 2018.

At the Conference of Great Business Partners held in Jinan on Sept 28, 2018, Ting proposed to establish a research body in Shandong for future technological development as well as exploring natural rules.

He also suggested that the institute collaborates with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which he has been working for, and work to become a world-class research center in five to six years.

At the founding ceremony, Ting was appointed as honorary director of the institute. A further six scientists from research organizations, including the University of Perugia and the KTH Royal Institute of Technology, as well as 10 young scientists will also join the team. 

The Shandong Provincial Government has promised to spend 300 million yuan ($42.84) annually on the recruitment and academic exchange of the institute.