On September 29^th, the award ceremony of this year's Chinese Government Friendship Award was held at the Great Hall of the People. Vice Premier Liu He presented the award to foreign experts and delivered a speech. The next afternoon, Premier Li Keqiang met with the recipients of the award at the same place. Professor Philipp Kapranov is the first teacher of Huaqiao University to win this award and the only expert from Fujian Province this year. 

The Friendship Award was established by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA) empowered by the State Council in 1991. The Chinese government honors around 50 foreign experts annually for their contributions to China’s development. Fifty experts from 21 countries received the award this year.

Philipp Kapranov is a Distinguished Professor of the School of Biomedical Sciences and the director of the Institute of Genomics in HQU. He has made a series of groundbreaking researches on genomics and systems biology and is one of the first to put forward the concept of pervasive transcription. He became a full-time professor at HQU in July 2014. Since then, he has been committed to conducting researches and talent training, promoting international exchanges and cooperation, and offering advice and suggestions to the government.

Liu He, the Vice Premier of the State Council, presents the Friendship Award to Professor Philipp Kapranov (source: the SAFEA)