On October 18, 2020, the World Young Scientists Summit was held in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, where the 16th China Youth Science and Technology Award was disclosed. Guo Qinglai, an associate professor long hired by EEA, won the award and was included in the list of 10 special award winners.

Guo Qinglai was at the award ceremony (the fifth from right)

China Youth Science and Technology Award has gone through a course of more than 30 years. In 1987, in order to solve the problem of science and technology talent gap and brain drain caused by the times, China Association for Science and Technology established the "China Youth Science and Technology Award" at the proposal of Qian Xuesen and other scientists of the older generation, awarded to 100 persons in each session. Since 1994, it has been jointly organized by the China Association for Science and Technology, the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee and the former Ministry of Personnel, and the award was renamed into "China Youth Science and Technology Award". In 2015, with the approval of the central government, a special prize of China Youth Science and Technology Award was added and given to 10 winners elected in each session. Guo Qinglai is the first teacher of Tsinghua University to receive such a special award, and is also the first special award winner in the field of electrical engineering.