The University of Santiago, Chile (Usach) proudly announces that Dr. José Zagal, a distinguished professor in its Faculty of Chemistry and Biology and recipient of the 2024 National Prize for Natural Sciences, is among the fifteen finalists for the 2025 Global Energy Prize. This prominent international award sees Dr. Zagal as the only Latin American representative at this stage of the competition.
An international award, the Global Energy Prize honors exceptional scientific and technological advancements in energy, prioritizing solutions that foster a more sustainable future. For this edition, the prize is structured around three categories: Conventional Energy, Non-Conventional Energy, and New Forms of Energy Use, overseen by an International Committee chaired by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Rae Kwon Chung.
The first stage, held from January 1 to April 20, 2025, concluded with 90 nominations spanning 44 countries and territories. Applications were assessed based on criteria such as scientific novelty, applied relevance, and implementation potential. Following this evaluation, the top five projects from each category, demonstrating the highest average scores, were chosen as finalists for the award, resulting in a total of 15 finalists.
“These projects confront prevailing energy challenges and demonstrate the potential for extensive application,” remarked Rae Kwon Chung. He additionally commented, “It is paramount that this award persists as a platform where scientific inquiry transcends national boundaries, uniting researchers in pursuit of a sustainable future.”
Dr. José Zagal is competing in the Non-Conventional Energy category with a project focused on fundamental research on electrocatalytic materials for oxygen reduction in fuel cells, a line of study that seeks to develop clean energy technologies.
Reflecting on this institutional achievement, Dr. Maritza Páez, Director of the Scientific and Technological Research Directorate (Dicyt), commented that “this international accolade signifies a valuable opportunity to underscore the scientific preeminence cultivated at the University of Santiago de Chile, as well as its steadfast commitment to research designed to address the pressing social and technological imperatives of our contemporary world.”
The laureates of the 2025 Global Energy Prize will be revealed in the latter half of the year.