Academician Evgeny Velikhov, director of Kurchatov Institute (KI), one of International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor （ITER） godfathers won the 2015 International Science and Technology Cooperation Award issued by the central government of China for his long-term contribution to CN-RU fusion cooperation. The award ceremony was held on 8th January in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

The National Science and Technology Award is the highest award in China. The central government annually presents it to the most significant science and technology achievements and progress in China, and Chairman XI Jinping attended the award ceremony for 2015.

There are five categories of the National Science and Technology Award: Pre-eminent Science and Technology Award, Natural Science Award, Technological Invention Award, Science and Technology Improvement Award and International Science and Technology Cooperation Award. Among them, International Science and Technology Cooperation Award was established for "foreign people or organizations who make outstanding contribution to science and technology development of China". For the year of 2015, altogether 7 foreign experts won this laurel. Academician Evgeny Velikhov became the third Institute of Plasma Physics in Hefei Institute of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences collaborator receiving this honor, after Dr Kenneth Gentle from University of Texas at Austin (2004) and Dr Vincent Chan from General Atomics (2009).

Velikhov visited China multiple times, as an international advisor, to evaluate CFETR design and make valuable suggestions on China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR）physical conceptual design. As the science advisor of Russian president, for more than 20 years, Velikhov has continuously facilitated CN-RU fusion cooperation, and helped China realize leap development in superconducting Tokamak devices. In October, 2013, he accompanied Prime Minister Medvedev during his visit to ASIPP, further promoting the biliteral cooperation in fusion and other fields.