The foreign adviser in China's think tank

Wang Hanlu (host):Hello,everyone! Welcome to People's Daily On-line.I'm Wang Hanlu. As we all know, with the reform and opening-up of China, more and more foreign experts come to China to help China's construction, and they made great contribution to China's modernization in nearly all fields of career. To memorize what they do to China and Chinese people, Chinese government launched an annual programme to recognizing these foreign experts called of Friendship Award. Today, I have the honor to invite one of the winners to talk with us. Mr. Pedersen, from Norway, who won the Friendship Award for this year. Mr. Pedersen, please say hello to our netizens.

P: Thank you. I'm very happy to be here. I'm very happy to have received the award.

W: Mr. Pedersen has been cooperating with China on policy suggestions since 1990s. The main research projects he hosted include labor mobility, western region development, innovation of enterprises, post-disaster reconstruction and so on. His work has great significance to promote our country's scientific decision-making through the results of empirical studies and the level of policy research. Mr. Pedersen, we know that the Friendship Award is the highest accolade in China in such kind of awards. And as winner of it, can you tell me how do you regard this award of friendship.

P: I think my first reaction was great surprise and also great honor, and I think all of us who got this award was really honor to receive it. We can very different fields and ....well, the feel of honor perhaps the most important.

W: Yeah, let's say this location is just the place that you attend the award ceremony when you was awarded. And can you give us a short speech on it, just like an Oscar winner?

P: Although I can try, there are three things that I would point out, I think.

W: It's OK.

P: First, I'm very happy that reward recognizes social science, many of the winners are winners from the hard sciences. And you mentioned in the introduction that yes, this helps scientific decision making in China, the work I've been doing, and I'm really very happy that social science is recognizing this way. And secondly, as a social scientist, you often think that will....you're doing things and nobody cares, and this shows in a way that...well, people actually care about what we're doing. And that is, to me, is really great. And thirdly, it's not only the reward to me, it's the reward to people I've been working with at Chinese academy for social science technology for development or the in the company I work with or the students and teachers at Chinese universities that we've been working together with, in order to this. So it's these three aspects that I'm very grateful that recognize.

W: OK. From your experience that you had been cooperated with China since 1994, and it's 15 years until now. I would like to know that what's the reason that you choose China to do your work and what is the reason that you keep helping China to do that.
P: Well, the reason for choosing China is like many things in life. Coincidence. I started social working in Africa, and then I have worked quite in the middle east, especially relating to the and middle east, and I came to China first not really expecting to work very much here, but then I thought I liked it and place myself in a position to work here. So it as just built each the building, so to speak. But I didn't think that I would start making this house to begin with.

By People's Daily Online

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