The Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (GUCAS) today announced that BHP Billiton Chief Executive Officer Chip Goodyear had been awarded an Honorary Professorship at a ceremony held in Beijing.

The award was presented to Mr Goodyear in the spirit of underlining the increasing strength of the relationship between BHP Billiton and the Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and its organisations.

In January this year, CAS and BHP Billiton created a unique strategic alliance to work collaboratively in the areas of joint research and development, education and technology commercialisation in scientific and technical areas for the minerals and energy industries.

Under the agreement, in addition to a series of joint research and development projects with various CAS institutes, BHP Billiton is also providing scholarship funding for Chinese PhD candidates at GUCAS. Mr Goodyear presented the Scholarships to the 25 successful candidates during his visit to GUCAS today.

“We are very pleased with the progress our partnership is making and the opportunities the agreement is bringing to some of China’s brightest minds,” Professor Deng Yong, the Chairman of GUCAS Council said.

Mr Goodyear in acknowledging being honoured with the Honorary Professorship paid tribute to GUCAS for their vision and commitment to the development of education and the sciences in China and expressed his optimism in regard to the cooperation between GUCAS and BHP Billiton.

Mr Goodyear received the award at a ceremony held at GUCAS’ Beijing campus today.

About the Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

Founded in 1978, Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (GUCAS) was the first graduate school in China with the approval of the State Council.  GUCAS has now become a modern education institution in providing PhD and master graduate program. The excellent faculty of our school is composed of over 300 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and/or the Chinese Academy of Engineering, over 4,500 professors and research fellows devoting themselves to the education of students. There are 30000 graduate students enrolled and 51% of them are on their PhD program. For more information see www.gucas.ac.cn.