Prof. Zhao has been awarded with 11 prestigious fellowships, for example Royal Society of New Zealand (Royal Society Te Apārangi) , European Academy of Sciences, European Academy of Sciences and Arts, ASEAN Academy of Engineering and Technology, Royal Society of Chemistry, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), Royal Aeronautical Society, Engineering New Zealand, Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association (AAIA), International Institute of Acoustics and Vibration (IIAV)-Distinguished Fellow, et al.