Professor Nils Chr. Stenseth from the University of Oslo has received the highest possible honor a foreigner from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Photo: By Eva Simensen, UiO. 

Professor Nils Christian Stenseth from the University of Oslo has been awarded a medal of honor by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, for his contribution to facilitating international cooperation in science and technology. The medal is the highest possible award a foreigner can receive from CAS.

Professor Stenseth was one of three foreign scientists who were awarded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Beijing Thursday January 17. The two others were Singaporean physics expert Shih Choon Fong and Japanese meteorologist Toshio Koike.

CAS President Bai Chunli handed the awards for International Scientific Cooperation to the three scientists, according to the Chinese news agency Xinhua.

Cooperation for more than 25 years

Bai Chunli told the assembly that Professor Nils Chr. Stenseth, a biologist from the University of Oslo, has cooperated with CAS for more than 25 years. His work has enabled CAS to reach the frontier in the field of biological disaster prevention and control, and enhanced the institute's monitoring of biological disasters. He has collaborated with Chinese scientists on a broad spectrum of topics, mostly terrestrial (including plague) but also marine issues.

"Through this collaboration we have also contributed profoundly, I am convinced, to an increased friendship between China and Norway, as well as Europe and North America," Stenseth said in his reply. The news about the award has received much attention in Chinese media, not least with a mention on the front page of China Daily.

Launched in 2007, the CAS award has been given to 34 foreign scientists.

More information:

China Daily: Chinese Academy of Sciences awards 3 foreign scientists. 2019-01-17

GBTimes: International scientists awarded by China for science and tech cooperation. Published 2019-01-17

Global Times: Science academy honors 3 foreign experts. 2019-01-17.

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