Recently, Zhang Zhiting, a retired professor from the School of Foreign Studies, Nankai University (NKU) and recipient of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques, donated the medal to University Archives.

Prof. Zhang previously served as a First Secretary of the Commercial Office at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Republic of France, where he brought extensive diplomatic experience to his role. From 1995 till retirement, he had been dedicated to the establishment and development of the French language program at NKU. He is a renowned expert in French literary theory and semiotics in China, having authored and translated 47 publications, including over 7.3 million characters in translation and more than 1 million characters in original writings. For his contributions, he was honored with the title of “Senior Translator” by the Translators Association of China. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to Sino-French cultural exchange, he was named a recipient of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques by the French government in 2002. In November 2006, the Cultural Counsellor of the French Embassy in China, on behalf of the French Ambassador to China and the Minister of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation of France, presented Prof. Zhang with the Ordre des Palmes Académiques and the certificate at the Institut Français in Beijing.

The Ordre des Palmes Académiques stands as the highest honor in Prof. Zhang’s career. The accompanying certificate, bearing the endorsement of the then Prime Minister of France and the signature of the Minister of National Education, represents the French government’s official recognition of Prof. Zhang’s contributions to cultural exchanges between China and France. Prof. Zhang expressed his hope that the medal he donated to NKU Archives would play a positive role in shaping the distinctive campus culture at NKU, inspiring future generations of scholars, carrying forward the rich legacy of the discipline, and promoting cultural dialogue.

（Edited and translated by Nankai News Team.)