On the afternoon of September 29, the Ceremony of the Hainan Provincial Government Friendship Award was held in Haikou. Feng Fei, Secretary of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee, presented awards to the winning experts. Also in attendence were other provincial leaders, including Liu Xiaoming, Governor of Hainan Province, Na Yunde, Director of the Organization Department of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee, and Xie Jing, Vice Governor of Hainan Province.

On the afternoon of September 29, the Ceremony is held in Haikou. Feng Fei, Secretary of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee, presented the Friendship Award to Ahmed. (Photo by Feng Shuo)

Salah Abdelkarim Ibrahim Ahmed, an Egyptian expert at Hainan University, received the award in recognition of his breakthroughs and contributions to tropical soil research. As the representative of the seven award recipients, he delivered a speech sharing his practical experience of working and serving in Hainan.

On the afternoon of September 29, the Ceremony is held in Haikou. Ahmed delivered a speech as a representative of the award winners. (Photo by the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange)

Professor Ahmed, who joined Hainan University in 2022, has dedicated his research to addressing core challenges in tropical soil nitrogen and carbon cycling. Under his leadership, his team has published 14 papers in international top-tier journals so far, such as Nature Food and Global Change Biology. The soil management technologies he has developed have been widely implemented in tropical farmlands across Hainan, significantly improving fertilizer use efficiency, reducing agricultural non-point source pollution, and successfully balancing the dual goals of “increasing output” and "protecting the ecosystem". In his teaching, he integrates cutting-edge international research concepts into three graduate courses, including Tropical Soil Science, cultivating a new generation of agricultural research talents with a global perspective for Hainan.

Ahmed remarked that the award was a tremendous encouragement for his efforts in Hainan. He added that he would take it as a new starting point, aligning his upcoming research on soil health more closely with Hainan’s “Seed Breeding” strategy under its “Five Sources of Competitiveness” plan. Furthermore, he noted that he would leverage the platform advantages of HNU and such networks as the League of Tropical Universities to explore new collaborative models with global research institutions.

The Award, established in 1999 by the Hainan Provincial People's Government, is the province’s top honor for foreign nationals. It is conferred every two years to no more than 10 recipients each time, recognizing foreign experts who have contributed significantly to Hainan's economic and social development as well as international exchanges and cooperation. To date, it has honored over 100 experts, establishing itself as a key platform for Hainan to attract high-level overseas talents and support the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port.

Translated by Ye Kechen

Proofread by Feng Jun