On the evening of March 13, 2025, the Touching Fujian annual awards ceremony was held in Fuzhou. Professor Gordon Trimble of Hwa Nan Women's College was named among the Top 10 Awardees for 2025, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to cross‑cultural exchange and education—adding another landmark honor to his receipt of the 2025 Chinese Government Friendship Award.
In the tribute presented at the ceremony, the organizing committee honored Professor Trimble and his family with the following citation:
Hearts truly connected defy the vastness of the Pacific. For a century, four generations have passed the torch of a shared legacy, cultivating the blossoms of education. Deep as the roots of Kuliang’s cryptomeria, enduring as its mountain ranges, this bond holds fast. Hearts in mutual understanding, peoples growing close—the fine story of Kuliang continues to unfold.
These words distill a simple truth: the Trimble family embodies not merely individual service, but a four‑generation legacy bound to Fujian by education, compassion, and people‑to‑people ties that span the ocean.
As a core member of the Friends of Kuliang, Professor Trimble and his wife Sonia have long worked to build China–U.S. cultural bridges and amplify China's voice on the global stage.
During his tenure at Hwa Nan, he has spearheaded multiple Sino‑U.S. intercollegiate cooperation platforms, facilitated reciprocal faculty and student exchanges, and deepened mutual trust and collaboration in higher education—earning him the title of Outstanding Envoy of China–U.S. People‑to‑People Diplomacy.Beyond formal institutional partnerships, the Trimble family's four‑generation commitment to education runs deep: donating teaching equipment, funding overseas research for young faculty, and sponsoring outstanding international graduates to teach at Hwa Nan—laying a durable foundation for the college's internationalization.
Their story stands as both a vivid testament to Hwa Nan's global engagement and a model of China‑U.S. people‑to‑people exchange, widely covered by People's Daily, Fujian Daily, and Straits News.
China has always been the focus of our entire family. Coming to China, coming to Hwa Nan—to help this institution succeed—has made China an inseparable part of my life,Professor Trimble remarked.
Running since 2003 under the guidance of the Fujian Provincial Publicity Department, the Touching Fujian campaign has honored over 100 exemplary individuals, cementing its status as a flagship platform for the province's spiritual civilization development.
Professor Trimble's selection affirms not only a lifetime of bridge-building, but also Hwa Nan's own narrative of open, globally engaged education. Faculty, students, and alumni alike extended immediate congratulations and profound respect.
His example will continue to inspire the Hwa Nan community to advance high-quality development through broader global educational and cultural exchange—ensuring that the bonds of Kuliang and the friendships they represent grow ever deeper.
