The 2008 Friendship Award was announced on September 27, 2008 at the Great Hall of the People with 50 foreigners selected as the winners this year. John L. Thornton, Guest Professor at Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management, Fellow ofAmerican Academy of Arts and Sciences was awarded the honor.

(File Photo: Professor Thornton Speaks at Tsinghua Management Global Forum)

John L. Thornton was Retired President and Member of the Board of Directors of the Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. He has been the member of Tsinghua SEM's Advisory Board since 2000. He has been served as Guest Professor and Director of the Global Leadership Program at Tsinghua SEM since 2003.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang met with the foreign experts who were presented with this year's Friendship Award at the Great Hall of the People.

The Friendship Award is a state-level award set up to thank and commend outstanding foreign experts annually for their contributions to China's social development and economic, scientific, technological, educational and cultural construction. The Award was set up in 1991; it is the highest honor presented by the Chinese government to foreign experts working in China. So far, 999 foreigners from 58 countries were awarded the honor, with 6 experts working for Tsinghua.