Sichuan Friendship Award Recipients: Chengdu is an Ideal City

Recently, Jacobus Frederick Mostert, a South African expert in international organizations and international communication at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Lutz Gunther Plümer, a German expert in geoinformation at Southwest Jiaotong University, and other foreign nationals have been awarded the 2025 Sichuan Friendship Award.

Launched more than 20 years ago, the Sichuan Friendship Award stands as the highest honor conferred by the People’s Government of Sichuan Province on foreign experts. Today, more than 100 award recipients from past editions have played a pivotal role in promoting open cooperation, talent exchanges, and mutual learning among civilizations. They have made positive contributions to Sichuan’s high-quality development and high-level opening up.

Jacobus Frederick Mostert:

"My ID is Africa China Link"

Jacobus Frederick Mostert, or Ferdie, began his story with China over 30 years ago. One night in 1992, he spotted a lost old Chinese man while driving along a highway in South Africa, and safely escorted him to his family. That encounter marked the beginning of his bond with China. In respect to that old man, Ferdie named his social media account "Africa China Link".

Ferdie has travelled to numerous Chinese cities and worked in many provinces. His first visit to Chengdu, a part of the Belt and Road Initiative, was in 2015, when he led a delegation to visit Southwest Jiaotong University. In 2016, he signed a contract with the university and settled in Chengdu. In 2023, Ferdie moved to work at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China.

In his spare time, he enjoys hiking and wandering through streets and alleys. When asked about his life in Chengdu over the years, he answered without hesitation: friendly, convenient, and diverse. "It can be said that I have grown together with China," he shared.

Lutz Gunther Plümer:

“Chengdu is My Second Hometown”

"Chengdu has enriched my life and reshaped how I see China." From his first visit to China in 2018 to now considering the city a second hometown, Professor Plümer's seven years in Chengdu stand as a vivid testament to the appeal of the city's inclusive and welcoming attitude.

In March 2018, the Faculty of Geosciences and Engineering of Southwest Jiaotong University was looking worldwide for an international dean. Lutz Gunther Plümer, at the age of 67, was offered the role and began his journey to Chengdu upon invitation. When he arrived at the airport at 6:00 in the early morning, faculty leaders and colleagues were already at the airport to welcome him. Their genuine hospitality and care, followed by efficient and convenient onboarding and settling-in sessions, helped him quickly integrate into his new work and life here.

In his free time, he loves cycling along Chengdu’s Tianfu Greenway that encircles the city and riding through ordinary streets, a way for him to sense the pulse of the city.

What fills Professor Plümer with pride is his role as a bridge for cultural exchanges between China and Germany. Not only is he himself fond of giant pandas, but he has also organized exchange visits to the university for German students. Last year, he brought his family to Chengdu. “They were truly surprised. The trip to Chengdu has changed their perspectives,” he remarked.

Source: HomeinChengdu