Beacons of distinction

The stories behind three of the foreigners who were conferred the Shanghai Magnolia Silver Award this year, Alywin Chew reports.

Editor's note: Named after the city flower, the Shanghai Magnolia Award ranks among the highest honors a foreigner can receive for his or her outstanding contributions to the city's economic and cultural industries. This prestigious award has three levels - Silver, Gold and the Honorary Citizen of Shanghai title. Only those who have won a silver are eligible for the gold, and an individual must have won both these titles before being nominated for the honorary citizen accolade. Fifty foreigners from 19 countries were conferred this year's Magnolia Silver Award during a ceremony held on Sept 12. The winners of this year's award, all of whom have spent several years working in the city, come from a wide range of industries, including economy, trade, finance, science and technology, education and health. China Daily talks to three of them.

A Spaniard's quest for excellence in a city that embodies it