Professor Robert Park is the director of the Grains Research and Development Corporation-funded Australian Cereal Rust Control Program based with the Plant Breeding Institute at Sydney University's Camden campus.

The award is the highest honour China gives to foreign experts who have made significant contributions to the country.

Professor Park was one of only 100 experts to receive the award this year out of the 480,000 experts who visited the country in 2008.

He said: ``I see (the award) as a reflection on the university and the commitment and contribution they make to the improvement of wheat crops''.

The work Professor Park carried out in China involved collaborating in the control of wheat rust - a destructive disease that can wipe out crops - and breeding disease resistant strains of wheat.

He was also involved in training Chinese students in breeding and genetics.

As part of his prize Professor Park attended the 60th anniversary of the declaration of the People's Republic of China celebrations.