On September 30th, the eve of the 75th anniversary celebrations of the People's Republic of China, the 2024 Chinese Government Friendship Award ceremony took place at the Great Hall of the People. Brent Euan Clothier, a distinguished foreign professor of Beijing Forestry University, received this prestigious award and was also invited to the reception commemorating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the People's Republic of China.

Chinese Government Friendship Award, established in 1991, is the highest award to commend foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to China's reform and development. More than 100 foreign experts received the 2024 Chinese Government Friendship Award.

Professor Brent Euan Clothier meeting with Wang Hongyuan and Li Zhaohu before the ceremony

On October 9th in the morning, BFU hosted a ceremony and academic presentation session to celebrate Professor Brent Euan Clothier on getting the China Friendship Award. The event saw the participation of the Chairman of the university's Party Secretary Wang Hongyuan, President Li Zhaohu, Vice Presidents Zou Guohui and Zhang Zhiqiang, along with key departmental and faculty leaders, and faculty and student representatives from related schools.

Wang Hongyuan, on behalf of the university Council, congratulated Professor Brent Euan Clothier on receiving the China Friendship Award, and expressed his gratitude for his significant contributions to the university. He noted that this honor reflects national recognition of Clothier's efforts in Sino-New Zealand cooperation and serves as the motivation of the university to enhance its tanlents development and educational internationalization. Wang emphasized the need to expand international collaboration and talent cultivation to propel the university forward during its strategic development phase of "One University with Two Campuses".

During his address, Li Zhaohu highlighted Professor Brent Euan Clothier's significant academic achievements and contributions, particularly the collaborative research with BFU in advanced areas like soil and water resource management and vegetation restoration against climate change challenges. Li stressed the need for further deepening of scientific cooperation and enhancement of the high-level talent development programs, and called for an increased focus on cultivating outstanding young talent to reinforce BFU's strategic scientific capabilities of the "Double First-Class" initiative, aiming to boost the university's contributions to the modernization of China's agricultural and forestry sectors.

At the ceremony, Zou Guohui presented BFU's cultural and creative gifts to Professor Brent Euan Clothier, and the Dean of the College of Forestry recounted the story between the college and Professor Clothier and expressed optimism about future collaborations in teaching and research.

Vice President Zhang Zhiqiang hosted the celebration ceremony, highlighting Professor Brent Euan Clothier's longstanding commitment to the growth of BFU. He acknowledged Professor Clothier's significant contributions to fostering elite talent, advancing scientific research, and promoting technology collaborations at the university. Zhang also extended his congratulations to Professor Clothier for being honored with the China Friendship Award just before the university's 72nd anniversary.

Professor Closier shared that receiving this esteemed honor during the 75th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China holds deep significance for him. He attributes this recognition to the fruitful collaboration with BFU over the years. Looking ahead, he hopes to further strengthen their partnership, working together to develop scientific solutions for global soil and water conservation, cultivate young talent, and make lasting contributions to the growth of higher education and technological progress between China and New Zealand.

Following the ceremony, Professor Closier presented an academic lecture to faculty and students on the topic of “Protecting Global Soil and Water Resources”. He shared insights into his collaborative projects with Chinese research teams on soil and water management and the sustainable use of water resources in agriculture and forestry. He also explored ways in which technological innovation and policy measures can promote sustainable soil and water management. The lecture was met with an enthusiastic response, and students and faculty engaged in an interactive discussion.

Brent Euan Clothier is a renowned expert in agricultural soil and water engineering. He is the Chief Scientist at New Zealand’s Plant & Food Research and a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand. In 2019, he was elected as a Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and has also served as the President of the Royal Society of New Zealand.

Professor Clothier has played a key role in advancing international collaboration between China and New Zealand, actively supporting scientist exchange programs and joint R&D projects. His efforts have made a significant impact on China’s agricultural and forestry modernization and talent development.

Written by Tian Min, Jiang Ying
Translated and edited by Song He
Reviewed by Yu Yangyang