The Fleishman Medal is founded to give commendation to scientists who have made outstanding contributions in the debris flow scientific research by theDebris Flow Association of Russia (DFA). In 2012, DFA awarded this metal to researcher Wei Fangqiang, vice director of Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, CAS (IMHE) because of his outstanding achievement, invention, great contribution in the cooperation with Russia in the scientific research on debris flow, researcher Wei Fangqiang has been the first foreign scientist who obtain this metal. Dr. Eduard Zaporozhchenko, vice president of DFA, and Dr. Sergey Chernomorets, secretary of DFA, issued the medal and certificates to Wei Fangqiang during the NSFC-RFBR Seminar on Debris Flow Movement Behavior, Numerical Simulation and Hazard Assessment held on 19th to 22nd November.

Researcher Wei Fangqiang has been engaging in long term work in the field of basic theory and hazard mitigation of debris flow. He has made a series of innovative achievement in risk assessment, forecasting and prediction technology, mitigation policy method, motion law and prevention technology of debris flow and so on, and gained a number of national patent licensing. In recent years, Wei Fangqiang’s team carried on the joint in-depth cooperation research with Russian scientists, and has obtained the remarkable achievements, supported by CAS, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Ministry of Science and Technology of China (MOST), Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province and Russian Foundation for Basic Research.