Taipei, Sept. 21 (CNA) Taiwanese entrepreneur Samuel Yin has been named vice president of the Russian Academy of Engineering (RAE) , becoming the first individual from a non-former Soviet Union country to receive the honor, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday.
Yin, president of Taiwan's Ruentex Group, was named to the position and received the prestigious institute's "Engineering Courage Award" on Sept. 15, Lin Jinn-jong, director-general of MOFA's Department of West Asian Affairs, said at a press briefing.
The well-known entrepreneur and engineer, whose business interests include textiles, education, retailing, medical services and construction, became an RAE member in 2008 and received an Engineering Glory Award the same year.
The 60-year-old Yin is best known for introducing prefabricated construction to Taiwan in the mid-1990s, and he helped build Taipei 101, the world's tallest building from 2004-2010, using the method.
The RAE established a branch in Taiwan in June 2009. (By Chris Wang) enditem/ls