Ms. Haiyan Qian, devoted wife, loving mother, and dedicated International Civil Servant for the United Nations, died on the morning of 18 February 2013 at the age of 57 after a heroic battle with cancer.
During the past 33 years, Ms. Qian dedicated her career to global public policy, governance, public administration and development. Since joining the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), Ms. Qian has served as Chief Manager of the United Nations Public Administration Network (UNPAN), Chief of the e-Government Branch (formerly known as Knowledge Management Branch) before becoming the Director of the Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM) on 1 February 2009. Prior to joining UNDESA, Ms. Qian worked for other United Nations agencies, such as the Centre for Science and Technology for Development and UNEP’s Centre on Environmentally Sound Technology in Japan. Before joining the United Nations, Ms. Qian worked for the Chinese Government in the area of science and technology for development and served in the Chinese Permanent Mission to the United Nations based in New York, covering the United Nations Second Committee on Economic and Social Affairs.
At the United Nations, Ms. Qian has left behind a legacy founded on hard work, dedicated service and loyalty. Ms. Qian was a visionary leader that was admired and respected by all her colleagues and others in the field of public administration around the world.
Ms. Qian received her Bachelor of Arts in Beijing, China and her Master in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, USA.
[click here to read this text in Chinese]
[click here to read the thank you letter from Ms. Haiyan Qian’s family]
On behalf of ICAP, we express heartfelt sorrow for untimely journey, of our beloved Ms. Haiyan Qian, for heavenly abode. No words can really express the loss we at ICAP feel but we will cherish her memories for ever as a great humanitarian.
She has been not only stalwart of global good governance but also a true professional. Her extraordinary dedication to the cause of knowledge management and public service has been unparalleled. We can never forget how kind, generous and compassionate she has been to all of us. Her support of public management projects in Central America has been instrumental in progress we have been making at ICAP. We truly have lost a great friend. We are deeply sadden by the loss.
She was a wonderful woman. Our condolences to her friends and family.
I join the IG family to commiserate with the family and friends of our beloved Haiyan Qian.
May her gentle soul rest in perfect peace.
We have received with profound sadness the news about the misfortunate demise of Ms. Haiyan Qian. On behalf of all the members of the eGovernment Authority, please accept our deepest condolences for this loss.
Over the years, we have worked closely with Ms. Haiyan Qian, and we were remarkably touched by her professional determination and her continuous support for our projects and events that concern the Kingdom of Bahrain and we have always valued her presence amongst us and our relation with her.
We send our sympathies to all the UNDESA dedicated team and her loved ones. Ms. Haiyan Qian will always remain in our hearts and we will forever cherish our memories with her.
This is very sad news. Our deepest condolences to Ms Qian’s family. She was a committed and nice person.
This is truly sad news. Haiyan was an amazing professional, and we so appreciated her efforts to meet with and work with the range of stakeholders involved in the IGF over the years.
Please convey our sincere condolences to her family, friends and UN DESA colleagues.
This is really a shock… very sad. Our condolences on to her friends, family and colleagues.
Sincere and deepest condolences, to the entire UN family, all her relatives and friends for such a great loss.
May her soul rest in peace.
So sad to have such news! My sincere and deepest condolences.
May her soul rest in peace, and strength to the family members to overcome this tragic loss!
She will be definitely missed by all of us!
Sorry for this news.
My sinceres condolences.
My deep condolences to Haiyan’s family, friends and colleagues. I shall always remember Haiyan as an excellent leader, thoughtful and sensitive person who was capable to find so successfully common ground and understanding with such a diverse network of individuals and organizations. Her friendliness, commitment and perseverance deserve admiration. I shall always remember her as a true friend and an outstanding member of our international team.
My deepest condolences for the death of Haiyan.
She was really a committed and nice person, always available and curious and dedicated.
We shall regret very much her absence from future IGF.
This is a real loss to all of us and for UN.
She was supportive to every one.
I’m really very sad and I will sorely miss her as all of us.
My deepest condolences to her family and team.
We have the privilege of knowing Ms. Haiyan and her wonderful team since UNPAN-AP Editorial Department, RCOCI became a member of UNPAN, and all of us were deeply impressed by Ms. Qian’s fascinating passion for life and dedication to the lofty cause of UNPAN.
She was regarded as an honest, respectable lady with great humour and a wise leader. Now I, on behalf of Mr. Wang Shiwei and Dang Qimin, Directors of Institute of Information, SASS, Li Nong, Head of UNPAN-AP Editorial Department, and Professor Wang Jianhua, convey our greatest condolences to DPADM and the whole UNPAN family!
How very sad, seeing Haiyan being so proactive and dedicated at our meeting last year it is hard to believe that she has left this world. I join with my colleagues in expressing my deepest sympathy to her family and in thinking of you all as you deal with this loss.
This is a really sad message. My deeply heartfelt condolences to her familiy and all her friends.
I am shocked and distressed that Ms.Haiyan Qian passed away. She was a
gentle person committed to the good values of the UN. She had been a
great colleague to all of us and I am very sorry to hear that she passed
away. We will miss her enormously.
My condolences to her family.
My deepest condolences.
She will be remembered her dedication and hardworking.
Please pass my deepest sympathy to her loved family.
It is indeed with great sadness that I have received this news.
It was a pleasure to have worked with her. She always displayed the
highest levels of professionalism and always was willing to listen.
My deepest condolences go out to her family.
It is indeed a big loss for us. In fact I had never met her but certainly met her virtually during last UNPAN meeting at Cape Town, when she addressed all of us through video link, and I distinctly remember and appreciate her commitment to the cause of governance.
We all pray that her soul rests in peace.
What a shock and so sad – she was stoic, passionate and committed to the end. What wonderful memories we will have but of a life cut short so very early. May I join with my colleagues in passing on heartfelt condolences to all you were close to her. All the very best in handling the inevitable shock and grief of losing a great companion.
I was really sorry to learn that Ms. Haiyan Qian, Director of the Division for Public Administration and Development Management has passed away this week. In this sad occasion I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to all colleagues and friends in UNDESA.
I was shocked to learn the sad news! Haiyan’s passing gives me profound sadness. I would like to join the other members of the CEPA to send my deep condolences to her grieving family and colleagues from the Division! It is indeed a great loss not only to her loved ones and to CEPA and to me as close friend.
I got to know Haiyan 20 years ago. I was always impressed by her energy and dedication to the work of the UN.
I will always cherish the worderful memories that we worked together. She will be remenbered as a champion of the global public administration, an dedecated UN staff member, and very close friend.
Haiyan’s intelligence, devotion to public administration activities,
warm and respectful communication will be something unforgettable and
to emulate.
I express you and all DPADM / DESA colleagues my solidarity, condolence
and friendship.
I do join other CEPA colleagues and those of DPADM/UNDESA in mourning the loss of Haiyan whose leadership contributed immensely to the successful functioning of CEPA. I will miss her professionalism and very aimable disposition.
My condolences to her family. May she rest in peace.