Shaowu Zhang studied Applied Mathematics, at USTC (1959-1964); joined the Research Group of Bionics at IBP in CAS in 1964. From 1971 to 1990, Zhang, as a group leader, carried out research projects on various topics, including physiological optics on human and insects, the biological effects of various lasers etc. Zhang was promoted to Associate Professor at IBP in 1986. Zhang was an Alexander von Humboldt Fellow, and then a Max-Planck-Society Post-Doctorial Fellow, carrying out research projects at the University of Darmstadt, and the Max-Planck-Institute of Biological Cybernetics in Germany from 1980-1983. In 1991, Zhang moved to Australia, and joined the Centre for Visual Sciences, at the Australian National University. Zhang continued the research that he had commenced in the 1980s, on the vision, cognition and navigation in honeybees. He was a full professor and a Chief Investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence in Vision Science at the Research School of Biology of the Australian National University before retired in 2010. After Zhang retired, he continues doing research in collaboration with scientists in China, Germany, UK, US etc. Zhang’s research interests focus on the ‘Intelligent Visual Guidance Behaviour of Flying Insects’, ‘Pattern recognition in the insect visual system’ , ‘Learning and Memory in Honeybees from molecular to behaviour’, and Brain-Computer fusion hybrid system. Zhang has published more than 120 articles in peer-reviewed professional journals, including seven in Nature, one in Science, three in PNAS, four in PLOS, two in Frontiers, one in Current Biology and nine review chapters. In recognition of his work as group leader at the IBP, Zhang was awarded a number of prizes by IBP, CAS and the State Defence Sciences and Technology Commission of China. Zhang and other two colleagues were awarded the Australian Science Prize in 2001; the research group lead by M.V. Srinivasan was awarded the Prime Minister’s Prize in 2006. Zhang has been awarded guest professorships at a number of universities and institutes. Presently, Zhang is a Guest Professor in IBP of CAS (2008-present); a Guest Professor at Zhe-Jiang university (2006-present); a special professorship at the Jiangxi Agricultural University (2009-present); a Guest Professor at the Fujian Agricultural & Forestry University (2012-present).