Dr. Heinrich von Pierer, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of German industrial conglomerate Siemens AG, received an honorary doctor's degree Monday at a top Shanghai-based university.

He was conferred with the doctorate by Prof. Wan Gang, president of Tongji University, in praise of his as well as his company's long-term technological cooperation and educational exchanges with the university and many other Chinese higher learning institutions.

Dr. Von Pierer and his company were "far-sighted" for investing in the education sector, said Prof. Wan. "It's conducive to the all-round cooperation between the two countries and our common prosperity."

Siemens has by far teamed up with 16 noted Chinese colleges and universities for personnel training, technological development and other cooperation programs. The move is aimed at training high-caliber professionals for the company itself, and helping improve the quality of Chinese college education by incorporating its state-of-the-art expertise.

Founded in 1907, Tongji is a multi-disciplinary, polytechnical university featuring engineering, sciences, management, arts and law.
 
(Xinhua News Agency November 2, 2004)