On Sept 8, the inaugural Orchid Envoys ceremony was held in Beijing, with the list of award winners officially released. Joseph W. Polisi, president emeritus and chief China officer of The Juilliard School, has been awarded the Lifetime Honorary Award.

President Emeritus Joseph W. Polisi led the Juilliard School in New York for 34 years (1984-2018), becoming the longest presidential term in the history of the school.

After officially leaving office in June 2018, he assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of Tianjin Juilliard School, overseeing and guiding various aspects of the school’s development.

Established by the China Foreign Languages Bureau, the Orchid Envoy, as an international cultural accolade, aims to encourage and recognize international individuals and institutions who have made significant contributions to cross-cultural dialogues and exchanges between China and other nations.

The awards aspire to create a new platform for global cultural exchange and mutual learning, contributing to the flourishing of a diverse global culture and the advancement of the construction of a human community with a shared destiny.