On April 28, 2026, the award ceremony and symposium for the 2025 Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Foreign Experts “Tianshan Award” was held in Urumqi. During the event, four foreign experts from the Xinjiang Branch system of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) — Willem Baan Adrianus, Khabibullaev Bakhitjan, Saidov Abdusattor Samadovich, and Numonov Sodik — were awarded honorary certificates of the “Tianshan Award” in recognition of their outstanding contributions in their respective fields.

At the ceremony, Erkin Tuniyaz, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and Chairman of the People’s Government of Xinjiang, presented the honorary certificates to the award recipients and highly commended their important role in Xinjiang’s economic and social development. He noted that foreign experts have played an irreplaceable role in promoting scientific and technological innovation, industrial upgrading, education and healthcare, as well as cultural exchanges in Xinjiang, and are an important force in jointly writing a new chapter in building a modern socialist Xinjiang.

Institutions under the Xinjiang Branch system have attached great importance to scientific and technological cooperation with research institutes and organizations in countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. By actively building international research platforms and introducing high-level foreign experts, these institutions have continuously enhanced the internationalization and research capabilities of their scientific teams, promoted the cultivation of internationally oriented talent, and achieved remarkable progress in scientific and technological innovation in key fields.

The “Tianshan Award” is the highest honorary award established by the People’s Government of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. It is presented annually to recognize foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to Xinjiang’s economic and social development, scientific and technological innovation, and international exchange and cooperation, honoring those who have made exceptional contributions to the prosperity and progress of Xinjiang.