ICOPS & APCOPTS 2024 Student Paper Awards(SPA) took place on June 19 at the Beijing International Convention Center, Beijing, China. This is one of the highlights of the 51^st IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science (ICOPS) and the 4^th Asia-Pacific Conference on Plasma and Terahertz Science (APCOPTS). The ICOPS is an annual conference coordinated by the Plasma Science and Applications Committee (PSAC) of the IEEE Nuclear & Plasma Sciences Society (NPSS). For the first time the ICOPS is held in China. The 51^st ICOPS & 4^th APCOPTS are chaired by Prof. Tao Shao from the Institute of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Academic of Sciences. The conferences are jointly hosted by theNPSS, the China Electrotechnical Society and the Institute of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The award ceremony was hosted by Prof. Lin Wu from the Singapore University of Technology and Design, who announced the results of the “Student Paper Award”. The “Student Paper Award” was won by Jiandong Chen, Yuxuan Xu, Biemeng Jin and Tiehuai Zhang from the Tsinghua University, Institute of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Academic of Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University and Institute of Physics, Chinese Academic of Sciences, respectively. In addition, Kateryna Barynova from the University of Iceland, Peiqi Chen from Harbin Institute of Technology, Sugeng Setiadi Edwin from the National University of Singapore, and Zhan Shu from the École Polytechnique in Paris were awarded the " Student Paper Awards Honorable Mention". Each recipient was invited to the stage to receive their accolade, and the certificates of recognition were presented by the general chair Prof. Tao Shao and the technical program chair Prof. Chao Chang. Each awardee has undergone a rigorous selection process and emerged from a pool of outstanding papers. Their works not only demonstrate cutting-edge scientific and technological advancements but also showcase their profound research expertise and the spirit of young scholars who are eager to explore and challenge boundaries. The award not only acknowledges the individual efforts of the students but also fosters their academic pursuits and learning spirit.

Over 1,000 experts, scholars, researchers, and representatives from enterprises in the fields of plasma science and terahertz science from both domestic and international institutions attended this conference, creating an exceptionally vibrant atmosphere. Prior to the conference, more than 60 research papers were submitted for the Student Paper Award. After a fair and impartial review by experts in related fields, 12 outstanding papers from different countries and regions were selected for final evaluation. The review meeting took place on June 17 in Room 301 of the Beijing International Convention Center with Prof. Lin Wu from Singapore University of Technology and Design and Prof. Zhi Fang from Nanjing Tech University as hosts. Additionally, there were 11 renowned scholars serving as on-site review experts from both domestic and foreign countries including the technical program chair Prof. Chao Chang, IEEE life fellow and APS Prof. Steven Gold, Prof. Julian Schulze from Ruhr-University Bochum and Prof. Xinpei Lu from Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and so on. During the meeting, authors presented their innovative points, research methods, results, and related application prospects while on-site review experts evaluated their overall performance accordingly. The final award results were determined based on the average scores.

The success of every award winner is underpinned by their unwavering dedication, relentless pursuit of knowledge, and commitment to innovation. It is this spirit that propels them to advance academic research and contribute valuable new insights to the global pool of knowledge. Congratulations to all the award-winning students, and best wishes for a successful international conference. We anticipate further outstanding academic achievements in the future, continuing to enrich global scholarly exchange. Let us collaborate towards creating a brilliant future!