Academia Sinica Academician Charles Kuen Kao has been awarded the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physics, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced at 5:30 pm Tuesday, October 6 (Taiwan time).

Academician Kao shares half the prize "for groundbreaking achievements concerning the transmission of light in fibers for optical communication". The other half of the prize is shared jointly between Dr. Willard S. Boyle and Dr. George E. Smith "for the invention of an imaging semiconductor circuit – the CCD sensor" the Swedish Academy said in a statement.

"Academician Kao is one of the pioneers of fiber optic communication. His greatest contribution has been a discovery that led to a breakthrough in fiber optics and the facilitation of the communications revolution" said Academia Sinica Vice President Chao-Han Liu, on hearing the news.

"His calculation about how to transmit light over long distances via optical glass fibers essentially taught us how electrical cables can be changed to optical fibers for communication and was nothing less than a revolution. Even now most of the communications industry relies on fiber optics," said Academia Sinica Vice President Liu, "his discovery inspired the communications industry more than any other."

"When he was the President of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, he cultivated many young talents. On behalf of the Academia Sinica I would like to congratulate him heartily," said Vice President Liu.

At the time of the announcement, Academia Sinica President Chi-Huey Wong was unavailable for immediate comment, being in transit.

Dr. Kao has been an Academician of Academia Sinica since 1992. He was President of The Chinese University of Hong Kong from 1987 to 1996 and later as Director of Engineering at Standard Telecommunication Laboratories in Harlow UK.

Dr. Kao was born in Shanghai. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of London in 1957 and his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the same university in 1965.

Related Websites:
Nobel Prize Press Release: http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2009/
http://db1n.sinica.edu.tw/textdb/ioconas/02.php?func=22.1&_op=?ID:M059