A French doctor and a Japanese pharmaceutical engineer yesterday were the first foreigners to receive the title "Model Worker" from the Beijing municipal government.

Doctor Luc Picard, 73, is an expert on interventional neuroradiology.

Since the 1970s, he has trained Chinese doctors and offered lectures and guidance to more than 10,000 medical workers, according to Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, where he is an honorary professor.

Pharmaceutical engineer Kishi Akira, 56, has been a senior consultant at the Beijing Tide Pharmaceutical Co since 2005.

He helped the Chinese company develop a system to deliver drugs to the diseased region of a patient and improve the effectiveness of medicines, helping millions of Chinese patients deal with pain.

"This is the first time Beijing gives this honor to foreigners. I am so happy to get this award and it inspires me to share more of my experience with my colleagues and Chinese young people," Akira told Xinhua.

"I like being in China. Spending my last 10 working years in China has been more meaningful to me than being in Japan," he said.

Five foreigners were nominated for this year's Beijing Model Worker title, which is awarded every five years.

Altogether 1,241 people in Beijing were given the award yesterday.

"Model Worker" is an honor bestowed on people who have made a significant contribution to the city.