Voted by the executive committee of International Society for Applied Phycology (ISAP), Prof. HU Qiang from Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) was elected as the president-elect of ISAP. He serves three-year term till 2020. He will then start to serve as the president of ISAP from 2020 to 2023.    

The ISAP is a non-profit organization that aims to promote research, preservation of algal genotypes, and the dissemination of knowledge concerning algae. It was founded in 1999 and is one of the most influential society for applied phycology in the world. As the intelligence base of scientists and engineers in the field of algal biotechnology research, ISAP members lead the world’s research direction in algal biotechnology. They seek cooperation with government policy makers and businessmen to create financing opportunities, and thus make significant contribution to opening up the commercial market for promoting algae products. The Journal of Applied Phycology, published by ISAP, is of big influence in applied phycology. In 2005, IHB organized the 10^th International Conference on Applied Phycology.    

Prof. Hu is now serving as the director of the Center for Microalgal Biotechnology &  Biofuels which is jointly established by State Development & Investment Corporation and IHB. He has set up an international and multidisciplinary team in the research and development of microalgal biofuels. This team is committed to the development and utilization of microalgae resources.    

Prof. Hu established the world’s leading research and pilot platform for microalgae biomass production and processing of oil extraction.