The L. N. Tolstoy International Peace Prize was recently founded in Moscow, and Professor Liu Wenfei from the College of Foreign Languages of CNU served as judge at invitation. The prize is awarded annually to individuals or organizations that have made outstanding contributions to international peace with prize money of approximately 1 million USD.The judging panel consists of 11 well-known politicians and cultural activists from around the world, namely Professor Liu Wenfei,former Russian Prime MinisterSergey Stepashin, former Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, former Russian Ambassador to China Sergey Razov, Deputy Speaker of the Belarusian ParliamentGaidukevich, Deputy Speaker of the Kazakhstani Parliament and hero cosmonaut Talgat Musabayev, daughter of famous South African politicianWalterSisulu and Tourism Minister of South Africa Lindiwe Sisulu, grandson of former French President Charles de Gaulle and renowned economist Pierre de Gaulle, Professor Alcarazfrom the University of Buenos Aires (Argentina), famous Serbian film director Emir Kusturica, and Indian Education Minister and renowned writer Murli Manohar Joshi.

The News Center of the L. N. Tolstoy International Peace Prize Foundation announced that the deadline for accepting nominationsis June 12 this year. Subsequently, a judge meeting will be convened to determine laureates. It is understood that Professor Liu Wenfei has submitted his recommended nominations to the judging panel.

CNU is an important base for Russian literature and cultural studies in China. Its program Russian Language and Literature is a national first-classone. Well-known professors include Liu Limin, Qiu Yunhua, Sui Ran, Du Guizhi, Lin Jinghua, Wang Zonghu and Yu Mingqing. Lin Jinghua and Liu Wenfei have completed two major bidding projects initiated by the National Social Science Fund of China. Liu Limin and Liu Wenfei are winners of the Order of Friendship and “Top 10 Distinguished Individuals in Sino-Russian Cultural Exchanges”. CNU also boasts the only monument to Alexander Pushkin in a Chinese campus. Liu Wenfei’s appointment as judge of the L. N. Tolstoy International Peace Prizewill further enhance CNU’s status and influence in Russian studies and Sino-Russian cultural exchanges in China.