Professor John Cherry, Foreign Co-Chair of the International Scientific Advisory Committee (ISAC) at the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences (CRAES), was among the distinguished recipients of the 2025 Chinese Government Friendship Award. The award ceremony took place on September 30 at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
Professor John Cherry receives the 2025 Chinese Government Friendship Award
A Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and a leading global hydrogeologist, Professor Cherry was recognized for his long-standing contributions to environmental science in China and his support of CRAES’s research and international cooperation. In his role as Foreign Co-Chair since the committee’s inception in 2018, he has provided strategic guidance on critical issues, from pollution prevention to global ecological challenges. Through repeated visits, special lectures, and academic exchanges, he has been instrumental in advancing and fostering the internationalization of CRAES’s groundwater science research.
Professor John Cherry during his CRAES Master Lecture
His collaborative research extends to other Chinese institutions, including Chengdu University of Technology, Peking University, Tsinghua University, the University of Hong Kong, and the China Geological Survey. In addition to co-authoring more than 30 research papers with Chinese scientists, Professor Cherry has helped secure nearly 10 million RMB in research funding. Furthermore, he has been a key driver of technology sharing and policy dialogue between China and Canada.
The Chinese Government Friendship Award is the highest honor conferred by China upon foreign experts for their exceptional contributions to the nation’s modernization and economic development. Since 1991, nearly 2,000 experts from over 80 countries and regions have received the award.
Dr. Zhang Mengheng, Chief Engineer of CRAES, attended the ceremony and associated festivities as a representative of the nominating institution.
