Nov 9th, the top professor of IESD Prof. Toepfer received the “Friendship” award given by Chinese government.

On behalf of Chinese government, Vice Director of Foreign experts ministry of Beijing Mr. Jianguo Zhang given the “friendship award “to Dr. Toepfer,the former director of UNEP and the top professor of IESD .。In the past 20 years, Dr. Toepfer promoted cooperation between Chinese governments with German, UNEP, made great contributions to China’s environment protection cause. After leaving his position as director of UNEP, Dr. Toepfer became thee professor of IESD ,teaching sustainable courses for master/bachelor degree students.  Mr. Guangyao Zhu, Vice director of CEPA , Mr. Ruisheng Qiu,director of international department of CEPA, Mr. Jieqing Zhang, section chief of international department and Prof. Fengting Li, vice dean of IESD attended the awarding ceremony.

”Friendship award” is the highest award to foreign experts working in China given by Chinese government. Each year the name list will be assessed by national foreign experts department before the National Day in order to reward their contributions to the development of China’s social, economy, technology, education and cultivation. This is the highest award given by Chinese government. At first, this award is given to foreign experts from the former Soviet Union and some east European countries to encourage these people come to work in China in 1950s. The former premier Mr. Enlai Zhou and Director of foreigner affairs department Mr. Yi Chen given certificates to those foreign experts with great contributions . Since China carried the “opening up to the outside world” policy, more and more foreign experts went to China and contributed to China, so from 1991 the national foreign experts department renewed to set “friendship award”. There will be about 50 winners each year, and for every five or ten years since 1949 the set up of China, there will be about 100 winners. Since 1991 to 2004, there were about 800 foreign experts come from 55 countries received this award. Meanwhile, there has been more than 30 provinces/ cities set up “friendship award” to foreign experts at their respectively level.