China's 2004 Friendship Award Presented to PMI's Gregory Balestrero.

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Penn. -- Gregory Balestrero, Chief Executive Officer of Project Management Institute (PMI) -- the world's leading not-for-profit professional association for project management, recently received China's 2004 Friendship Award at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. China's Vice Premier Hui Liangyu was in attendance, and congratulated award winners with a speech highlighting their contribution to China's economic development and modernization.

Nominated by the Training Centre of the State Administration of Foreign Exports Affairs (SAFEA), Mr. Balestrero received this award for his contribution to China's development in the field of project management. Mr. Balestrero was delighted to receive the award and said it was a tremendous honor for both himself and PMI.

"PMI has a long-term commitment to China. We have a very productive relationship with SAFEA, and have been working closely with them to administer PMI's Project Management Professional (PMP(R)) Certification Program in China, and build the number and expertise of internationally certified project management professionals in China," Balestrero said.

The partnership between PMI and SAFEA provides a gateway for international knowledge to better serve the increasing needs for project management professionals in China. The partnership has been very successful, resulting in increased PMP applications, membership in PMI and Registered Education Provider program participants from China. By the end of 2004, almost 10,000 Chinese experts will have participated in PMI's programs with over 5,000 expected to have completed PMP certification.

"Statistics show that China will need nearly 600,000 well-trained project management practitioners and some 100,000 certified project management professionals in the next three years in order to meet the huge demand for this type of talent," said Mr. Balestrero.

"PMI has a long-term commitment to develop valuable human resources in China and support the ability of Chinese enterprises to more effectively compete in the global marketplace."

PMI has established relationships with additional Chinese academic institutions, including Peking University, Tongji University, and Tsinghua University. The company recently announced plans to open a representative office in Beijing at the end of the year to supplement efforts in expanding project management in China.

Together with Peking University, PMI founded the International Project Management Education Union during the First Peking University Forum on Project Management -- a result of the strong relationship between PMI and Peking University. PMI is also cooperating with the Publishing House of Electronics Industry on the translation of "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge" (PMBOK(R) Guide) -- Third Edition into simplified Chinese.

About PMI:

PMI is the global advocacy organization for the profession of project management, creating the professional standards and an ever-expanding body of knowledge that empowers practitioners to become catalysts for organizational transformation. With more than 140,000 members in nearly 150 countries, PMI is actively engaged in setting professional standards, conducting research and delivering knowledge, promoting professional development and career advancement, and providing education, certification, networking and community involvement opportunities.

For more than 35 years, PMI has advanced the careers of practitioners, ultimately contributing to the success of businesses and organizations across all industries. For more information, please visit www.pmi.org.

(C) 2004 Project Management Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.

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