On January 3, Consul General Huang Ping met with Professor Water Ian Lipkin, director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University, and passed on the medal awarded by the central government of China to him, which marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
Mr. Huang warmly congratulated him on winning the medal. Mr Huang said that in 2003 when China was experiencing severe acute respiratory syndrome(SARS), professor Lipkin went to China and worked closely with Chinese scientists and medical personnel to contain the spread of SARS, making great contribution to the control of SARS in China. The medal carries a message of gratitude to him and presents the full recognition to his practice to promote the scientific and technological exchanges and friendship between the two countries.
Mr. Huang said that science has no national boundaries. In the era of globalization, it is the common tasks of the scientists all over the world to prevent the threat of spreading of the infectious diseases. In recent years, Chinese government has sent many medical teams to Africa to help African countries to prevent and control widespread epidemics including Ebola.
Professor Lipkin recalled the days when he and his Chinese counterparts was fighting against SARS in 2003. And further more, he said that he would try his best to promote scientific and technological cooperations between the two countries. In 2016, he won China International Science and Technology Cooperation Award delivered by President Xi Jinping in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Professor Linda Fried, the dean of the Mailman School of public health, Madam Zhang Aiping, the wife of Mr. Huang, and counselor Zhou Guolin also attended the event.