Two U.S. experts on intellectual property (IP) received the International Cooperation Award from China on Wednesday for their tremendous contributions in helping train Chinese in this area. The awards, presented by officials from China State Intellectual Property Office at the Union League Club in Chicago, were going to Professor Robert Gilbert Johnston, former dean of the John Marshall Law School, and Professor Kevin Hopkins. Johnston, who had been to China many times when he served as the dean, was a key founder that helped establish the IP training system for China. Hopkins was among the first group of professors who conducted training at China IP Training Center. The John Marshall Law School, established in 1899, started its cooperation with China State Intellectual Property Office in 1994. Over the past 15 years, the school has contributed to the growth and improvement of the Chinese intellectual property system. It has been building educational bridges to the Chinese IP community and training Chinese IP specialists who are now leaders in their field. So far more than 400 Chinese IP specialists have taken courses at the school. 