Mr. Liu Yuanzhang was born in Qingdao, in 1925, with ancestral home of Anhui, a central China’s province. He holds a doctor’s degree in operational research from University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s degree in economics from Kyoto University. He was elected as academician of International Academy for Quality in 1995, and academician of China Academy of Engineering in 2001.

In 1956, he came back mother country on the invitation of Mr. Qian Xuesen, one of the most famous Chinese scientists, and worked successively as associate research fellow at Mechanics Institute of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), research fellow at Mathematics Institute of CAS, Vice Chief & research fellow of System Science Institute of CAS, research fellow & academic board member of Mathematics and System Science Institute of CAS, professor of School of College Administration of CAS, honorary president of International Business & Administration School, Shanghai University etc. He also successively and partly worked as member of discipline appraisal group of management and engineering science of Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, member of appraisal group of management science department of National Natural Science Foundation of China, vice president of Operations Research Society of China, and vice president and consultant of China Association for Quality, etc.

His major contribution to theory and practice of quality and engineering science in the career of over 60 years includes:

1.Initiate TQM in China with milestones of establishing quality control research group at operation science research division, mechanics institute of CAS in 1957, introducing TQM in 1976, jointly establishing CAQ in 1979, assisting in issuing of Interim Measures for TQM in Industrial Enterprise in 1980 and Quality Revitalization Outline in 1996, etc.
2.Strive for development and promotion of quality management standards with milestones of appointing as director of QM Standardization Technical Committee (TC151) in 1988 and China’s representative of ISO TC176 in 1995, assisting in issuing of QMS standards of GB/T19000-ISO9000 (1989, 1994 and 2000 versions) and Criteria for Performance Excellence of GB/T19580-2004.
3.Insist in education at frontline and by various channels with milestones of introducing TQM into China at newspaper in 1977, conducting TQM lecture at China National Radio and China Central Television in 1980.

Mr. Liu Yuanzhang was honored as National Labor Models in 1979, and received the second price of National Technology Progress Award, National Quality Individual Award, and Shanghai Municipal Magnolia Award, etc.

As to international community, he was elected as president of Asia Pacific Quality Organization (APQO) in the term of 1989-1992, and was awarded Harrington-Ishikawa Award of APQO in 2000, Ishikawa-Kano Award of Asian Network for Quality in 2011, Lancaster Medalists of America Society for Quality in 2014, etc.