Friendship Award (China)

2010 award medal

The Friendship Award (Chinese: 中华人民共和国友谊奖; pinyin: Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó Youyì Jiǎng; literally: "The People's Republic of China Friendship Award") is the People's Republic of China's highest award for "foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to the country's economic and social progress".^[1] The award was first established in 1950s, when it was awarded to experts from the former Soviet Union and East European countries by the then premier Zhou Enlai and the foreign minister Chen Yi.^[2] On September 15, 1955, the Chinese government decreed that each departing Soviet expert be issued a medal.^[3] This medal featured the flags of China and the Soviet Union along with the inscription "Long live the Sino-Soviet Friendship" (Chinese: 中苏友谊万岁; pinyin: Zhōngsū Youyì Wànsuì).^[3] This friendship award was abolished with the Sino-Soviet split in the early 1960s. During the period that followed, in particular the Cultural Revolution, foreigners in China were often regarded as "spies" and very few remained in the country.^[3] After the reopening of China, a new Friendship Award was reintroduced in 1991.^[4] Since then, the winners have been selected by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA) under the State Council.^[5] The award is conferred as part of the celebrations for the National Day of the People's Republic of China (October 1).^[2] The award consist of a medal and an award certificate. The medal is decorated with a picture of the Great Wall on the obverse along with the inscription "Friendship Award" in Chinese ("友谊奖", on the top) and in English (on the bottom). Besides the national friendship award, various local foreign expert awards are also being made at the provincial, regional, and municipal levels.^[2]

Laureates

2010 award certificate

List of selected laureates:

• Peter Abplanalp, Professor für Strategie an der Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz, Hochschule für Wirtschaft, Olten, Schweiz (2006)^[6]
• Werner Alpers, former professor at Universität Hamburg, Germany (2008)^[7]
• Colin Blakemore, neuroscientist, Emeritus Professor at the University of Oxford and Director of the Centre for the Study of the Senses, School of Advanced Study, University of London^[8]
• Bertram Brenig, molecular biologist, veterinary professor at Universität Göttingen, Germany (2012)^[9]
• Andreas DuBois, Wind Power Expert, Germany (2012); Director China Wind Power Project (Consulting); for support of Chinese Wind Power Development since 1990^[10]
• Robert Fontaine, physician, USA (2007)^[11]
• Bikram S Gill, Director, Wheat genetic and genomic resources center, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA (2012) for his valuable contribution to wheat improvement.(Video Link ,http://news.cntv.cn/program/xwlb/20120929/104853.shtml, http://www.k-state.edu/media/mediaguide/bios/gillbio.html)
• Kirby Jefferson, Intel Executive, USA (2009?)
• Yevgeny Kaspersky, specialist in the information security field, Russia (2009)^[12]
• Shin-ichi Kurokawa, professor emeritus at KEK, vice president of Cosylab and former chair of the ILC Steering Committee, for his outstanding achievements in the fields of accelerator science, Japan (2012)^[13]
• Thomas W. Kensler, professor at University of Pittsburgh and Johns Hopkins University, USA (2011)
• Reinhart Kühne, Professor, Germany (2007)^[14]
• Kishō Kurokawa, architect, Japan (2005)
• Jeffrey S. Lehman, Founding Dean and Chancellor of Peking University School of Transnational Law, USA (2011)^[15]
• Hans-Peter Liebig, Rektor of Universität Hohenheim, Germany (2004)^[16]
• Alan G. MacDiarmid, chemist, New Zealand (2004)^[4]
• Roger Mason, geologist, retired professor China University of Geosciences (Wuhan)^[17][18]
• Horst Marschner, former professor at Universität Hohenheim, Germany (1994)^[16]
• Rolf Müller, professor at Virginia Tech and Shandong University, Germany (2010)^[19]
• Pedro Nueno, Professor for Entrepreneurship at IESE Barcelona, Spain (2009)^[20]
• Ruedi Nützi, Director School of Business FHNW, Olten, Switzerland (2014) ^{[21] [22]}
• Airaldo Piva, General Manager and expert in corporate governance, Italy (2010)^[23][24]
• Michael A. Price, Project Management Institute (2005)
• L. Reh, former Professor at ETH Zürich, Switzerland (2008)^[25]
• Erwin Reisch, former president at Universität Hohenheim, Germany^[16]
• Geert Roelens, Group Executive Vice-President Bekaert, Belgium (2009)
• Albert Roman, violoncello-soloist, Switzerland (1999)
• Majid Samii, neurosurgeon, Germany (2007)
• Çetin Şengonca, former Professor at Universität Bonn, Germany (1999)^[26]
• Sabriye Tenberken, Tibetologist and founder of Braille Without Borders, Germany (2006)
• Hemmo Luijerink, corporate development executive director Fuwa Heavy Industry Co. Ltd., The Netherlands (2012)
• Sebastian Zimmer, expert for Circulating Fluid Bed (CFB) Flue Gas Cleaning (FGC), Germany (2003)

References