Professor Aijun Ding, Dean of the Nanjing-Helsinki Institute in Atmospheric and Earth System Sciences at Nanjing University (NJU Nanjing-Helsinki Institute), has been elected an external member of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters and Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU).

Founded in 1908, the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters, is dedicated to advancing scientific research, promoting high-level academic exchange, and offering policy advice on Finland's scientific undertakings, researcher development, and science policy; it represents one of the highest honors in Finland's academic community. The Academy consists of two sections—the Section of Science (encompassing mathematics, natural sciences, engineering, and medicine) and the Section of the Humanities—each with seats for external members. Since 1919, the Academy has held annual elections for new members during its spring session. Nominees must be under 65 years of age and have widely recognized outstanding achievements in their academic field; they must be jointly nominated by two Academy members and then approved by at least two-thirds of the members in the relevant section, as well as by at least two-thirds of all members at the statutory Spring General Meeting. The total number of Finnish members under 65 is capped at 333, with vacancies arising once members turn 65. External members make up roughly 15% of the total membership, including Nobel laureates, Fields Medalists, members of national academies of sciences from various countries, and tenured professors at leading universities. External members hold the same rights as Finnish members, apart from voting rights. Election results are announced after each spring session, and a certification ceremony for newly elected members is held in September.

Founded in 1919, the American Geophysical Union (AGU), is the largest and most influential alliance of geoscientists and space scientists worldwide, with more than 60,000 members from 135 countries. Each year, AGU honors individuals or teams for outstanding contributions to the geosciences and space sciences. AGU Fellowship is one of the highest honors in the international geosciences and space sciences community, conferred upon scientists who possess outstanding vision and exceptional achievements in these fields. The selection criteria include major scientific breakthroughs or discoveries, advancement of scientific theories and technological innovation, development of novel research methods or instrumentation, and sustained and significant academic impact. Since 1962, no more than 0.1% of members have been elected as Fellows each year. In 2026, AGU selected 53 individuals across more than 20 research areas in the geosciences and space sciences. In addition to Aijun Ding, Professor Yun Qian, an alumnus who entered our university in 1985 and a scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, was also elected. To date, eight alumni in Atmospheric Sciences have been elected as AGU Fellows. Among the AGU awards announced this year, Professor Xiaohong Liu, an alumnus, who entered the university in 1982 and a chair professor at Texas A&M University, received the Jule Gregory Charney Lecture Award.

Aijun Ding is Dean of the Nanjing-Helsinki Institute. His research focuses on air pollution meteorology, aerosol and weather-climate interactions. He has published over 300 academic papers in major international journals, including Science, Nature Geoscience, and National Science Review, and has been cited nearly 30,000 times. He is a recipient of the ICTP Prize from the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (2015), XPLORER Prinze (2022), Zilitinkevich Award (2024, established jointly by WMO and the European Meteorological Society), and First Prize of the Natural Science Award of the Ministry of Education, China (2025, ranked first). Aijun Ding has been consecutively selected as a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher globally (2020-). He has served as a member of the Scientific Steering Committee for international programs such as iLEAPS, TOAR, and MAP-AQ, as well as a member of the Scientific Advisory Group of the WMO’s Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW). He has also been invited to deliver keynote presentations at prominent international conferences, including the Gordon Research Conference and the GAW Symposium. Aijun Ding was enrolled in the School of Atmospheric Sciences at Nanjing University in 1995, obtaining his bachelor's degree in 1999 and his doctoral degree in 2004. During his graduate and postdoctoral studies, he participated in joint training and collaborative research programs at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. In 2009, he joined Nanjing University as a professor, where he has remained to the present.