Professor David Payne elected to one of the world’s top science academies

The prestigious Russian Academy of Sciences has elected Professor David Payne, Director of the University of Southampton’s Optoelectronics Research Centre, as one of its foreign members.

The RAS General Assembly elects only the most prominent foreign scientists recognized by the international scientific community and has just 240 non-Russian members. Professor Payne is one of a very small number in his field who have been honoured with membership.

The Academy is one of the oldest and most successful science academies in Europe and many of its members have made invaluable contributions to the world’s science base. They include Academicians Nicolay Basov and Aleksandr Prokhorov, who were both awarded the Nobel Prize for their pioneering work on lasers.

The RAS is the equivalent of the UK’s national academy of science, the Royal Society. Additionally, many research establishments in Russia report directly to the Academy, which channels a significant amount of Russian government science funding.

"The RAS is one of the most exclusive and highly-regarded clubs of scientists in the world and it is a great honour to be associated with it," comments Professor Payne. "This is a fantastic opportunity to strengthen our relationship with leading Russian scientists who have an expertise in fields similar to those being studied at the ORC. It will be a great pleasure to work with some of the world’s best scientists to develop research in Europe."

Professor Payne is a leading international researcher who is renowned for his pioneering contributions in many areas of optical fibre technology. His work has had a direct impact on worldwide telecommunications and laser technology and helped fuelled today’s information technology revolution.