Highest honor for 2 outstanding expats
SHANGHAI Mayor Yang Xiong yesterday presented the Honorary Citizen of Shanghai and Shanghai Magnolia Gold Award to 11 foreigners in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the city’s social and economic development.
The recipients, from Ukraine, United States, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Spain, South Korea and Turkey, received their awards at a ceremony in City Hall.
Majdi Bader Abulaban of the United States and Mykola Bytsko of Ukraine were named Honorary Citizens of Shanghai, the highest honor for expatriates given by the Shanghai government.
Abulaban, chairman of Delphi Packard Electric Systems Co Ltd, told Yang: “I am so excited, honored and thrilled to get this award. Shanghai has also made great contribution to my personal development, family and professionalism.”
Abulaban, who has lived in Shanghai for 15 years, told Shanghai Daily that the city was constantly reinventing itself and always changing. “It is the city of choice for expats in terms of foreign investment and quality of life. It is also one of the safest metropolises where you can have your son and daughter walk in the street at night,” he said.
Abulaban has been with auto parts manufacturer Delphi Packard for the past 20 years and persuaded the company to establish its Asian-Pacific headquarters in Shanghai in 2002 and its Asian Engineering Technology Center later moved to the city from Japan. Delphi’s two research centers in Shanghai and more than 20 service centers around the country employ 28,000 people.
He won the Magnolia Gold Award in 2007 and has been honored for his support of local charities.
Bytsko, a senior engineer at the Shanghai Aircraft Design and Research Institute, said winning the award was a great honor and a great responsibility.
“The award is not only a personal honor but also recognition for my company. It has shown that the Chinese and Shanghai governments attach great importance to the aviation industry,” he told Mayor Yang.
Bytsko told Shanghai Daily that China is the eighth country to design and produce its own planes and it needs experienced experts to become a strong competitor in the global aviation industry.
He came to Shanghai in 2009 after 22 years at the Antonov Aeronautical Scientist/Technical Complex in Ukraine where he was involved in the design of many models of aircraft.
An expert in dynamics, he is now in charge of aircraft wing design at the Shanghai institute.
In recognition of his contributions to research and development of China’s ARJ21 and C919 aircraft, he won the Chinese Government Friendship Award in 2010 and the Shanghai Magnolia Gold Award in 2012.
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