Friendship Award (China)
Encyclopedia
The 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". 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
. On September 15, 1955, the Chinese government decreed that each departing Soviet expert be issued a medal. This medal featured the flags of China and the Soviet Union along with the inscription "Long live the Sino-Soviet Friendship" . 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. After the reopening of China, a new Friendship Award was reintroduced in 1991. Since then, the winners have been selected by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs
(SAFEA) under the State Council
. The award is conferred as part of the celebrations for the National Day of the People's Republic of China
(October 1st). 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.
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
's highest award for "foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to the country's economic and social progress". 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
Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai was the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, serving from October 1949 until his death in January 1976...
and the foreign minister Chen Yi
Chen Yi
Chen Yi may refer to:* Chen Yi , Chinese communist military commander* Chen Yi , Chief Executive of Taiwan Province* Chen Yi , Chinese composer* Chen Yi...
. On September 15, 1955, the Chinese government decreed that each departing Soviet expert be issued a medal. This medal featured the flags of China and the Soviet Union along with the inscription "Long live the Sino-Soviet Friendship" . This friendship award was abolished with the Sino-Soviet split
Sino-Soviet split
In political science, the term Sino–Soviet split denotes the worsening of political and ideologic relations between the People's Republic of China and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics during the Cold War...
in the early 1960s. During the period that followed, in particular the Cultural Revolution
Cultural Revolution
The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution , was a socio-political movement that took place in the People's Republic of China from 1966 through 1976...
, foreigners in China were often regarded as "spies" and very few remained in the country. After the reopening of China, a new Friendship Award was reintroduced in 1991. Since then, the winners have been selected by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs
State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs
State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs is an administrative agency of the state council of the People's Republic of China responsible for certifying foreign experts to provide expertise on the mainland. China...
(SAFEA) under the State Council
State Council of the People's Republic of China
The State Council of the People's Republic of China , which is largely synonymous with the Central People's Government after 1954, is the chief administrative authority of the People's Republic of China. It is chaired by the Premier and includes the heads of each governmental department and agency...
. The award is conferred as part of the celebrations for the National Day of the People's Republic of China
National Day of the People's Republic of China
The National Day of the People's Republic of China is celebrated every year on October 1. It is a public holiday in the People's Republic of China to celebrate their national day.The PRC was founded on October 1, 1949 with a ceremony at Tiananmen Square...
(October 1st). The award consist of a medal and an award certificate. The medal is decorated with a picture of the Great Wall
Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built originally to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire against intrusions by various nomadic groups...
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.
Laureates
List of selected laureates:- Werner Alpers, former professor at Universität Hamburg, Germany (2008)
- Robert Fontaine, physician, USA (2007)
- Kirby Jefferson, Intel Executive, USA (2009?)
- Yevgeny Kaspersky, specialist in the information security field, Russia (2009)
- Thomas W. Kensler, professor at University of PittsburghUniversity of PittsburghThe University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
and Johns Hopkins UniversityJohns Hopkins UniversityThe Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
, USA (2011) - Reinhart Kühne, Professor, Germany (2007)
- Kishō Kurokawa, architect, Japan (2005)
- Jeffrey S. LehmanJeffrey S. LehmanJeffrey Sean Lehman is an American scholar, lawyer and academic administrator who is currently serving as the chancellor and founding dean of the Peking University School of Transnational Law in Shenzhen, China...
, Founding Dean and Chancellor of Peking University School of Transnational Law, USA (2011) - Hans-Peter Liebig, RektorDean (education)In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
of Universität Hohenheim, Germany (2004) - Alan G. MacDiarmid, chemist, New Zealand (2004)
- Horst Marschner, former professor at Universität Hohenheim, Germany (1994)
- Rolf MüllerRolf MüllerRolf Müller is the name of:* Rolf-Dieter Müller, German historian* Rolf Müller , German biochemist and winner of the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize* Rolf Müller , German slalom canoer...
, professor at Virginia Tech and Shandong UniversityShandong UniversityShandong University is a public comprehensive university in Shandong, China. It is one of the largest universities in China by student population and is supported directly by the national government....
, Germany (2010) - Pedro Nueno, Professor for Entrepreneurship at IESE BarcelonaBarcelonaBarcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain (2009) - Airaldo Piva, General Manager and expert in corporate governance, Italy (2010)
- L. Reh, former Professor at ETH ZürichETH ZurichThe Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich or ETH Zürich is an engineering, science, technology, mathematics and management university in the City of Zurich, Switzerland....
, Switzerland (2008) - Erwin Reisch, former president at Universität Hohenheim, Germany
- Geert Roelens, Group Executive Vice-President Bekaert, Belgium (2009)
- Albert Roman, violoncello-solist, Switzerland (1999)
- Majid SamiiMajid SamiiMadjid Samii is a distinguished German-Iranian neurosurgeon and medical scientist.Professor Samii was born in Rasht, Iran and got his professor degree in neurosurgery at the age of 33...
, neurosurgeon, Germany (2007) - Çetin Şengonca, former Professor at Universität Bonn, Germany (1999)
- Sabriye TenberkenSabriye TenberkenSabriye Tenberken is a German socialworker and co-founder of the organisation Braille Without Borders.- Biography :Sabriye was born near Bonn, Germany, and she became gradually visually impaired and completely blind by the age of thirteen due to retinal disease. She studied Central Asian Studies...
, Tibetologist and founder of Braille Without BordersBraille Without BordersBraille Without Borders is an international organisation for the blind in developing countries. It was founded in Lhasa, Tibet by Sabriye Tenberken and Paul Kronenberg in 1998.- Overview :...
, Germany (2006)