Great Wall Friendship Award
1 November 2018
The Vice-Chancellor has received one of China’s most prestigious awards in recognition of the University’s longstanding contribution to the development of China’s capital city, Beijing.
Professor Riordan received the Great Wall Friendship Award in recognition of the success of research collaborations spanning thirty years, most notably with Beijing and Capital Medical University.
Previous winners of the award include former NBA basketball star Stephon Marbury, former Siemens China President Ernst Behrens, I.T. United founder Cyrill Eltschinger, and ABB China President Claudio Facchin.
Professor Riordan said: “It is a tremendous honour to receive such a prestigious award on behalf of the University."
Cardiff University has a long and established relationship with China. This award is a recognition of the efforts of many outstanding research colleagues who’ve worked so hard to support and offer their expert advice to our Chinese friends over the last thirty years.
The University’s historical links with Beijing can be traced back to 1999 when it first partnered with Peking University to research the causes of cancer and work on improving diagnoses and treatment of the disease.
This partnership has since developed culminating in the establishment of the Cardiff – Capital Medical University (CMU) Joint Centre for Biomedical Research in 2013.
The joint venture has resulted in some 91 scholar exchanges, more than 60 student exchanges, and collaborative research into the causes of and treatment for cancer.
Professor Riordan added: “I am proud of the links that we have developed with CMU, in Beijing and across China.
“I look forward to further developing these already successful partnerships in the years ahead.”
