Institution: Chinese Academy of Sciences

Found Year: 1949

Address: 52 Sanlihe Rd. Beijing,

100864 China

Overview

The Chinese Academy of Sciences is the highest academic institution and research and Development center in China. It is a leading institution and comprehensive Research and Development center in technological science, natural science and high tech innovation in China for the benefit of China and the world at large.CAS comprises of a merit-based learned society, a research and development network and a system of higher education. It brings engineers and scientists from China and across the world to tackle both applied and theoretical issues using world-class management and scientific approaches.

The Chinese Academy of Science was formed on the 1st of November 1949 from existing scientists and welcomed more than 200 returning scientist who had acquired high-level expertise abroad and were ready to contribute to CAS. The Chinese Academy of Science has always been part of Strategy and Technology planning in China. The Central government would ask CAS in 1956 to oversee the preparation of china’s first 12-year national program for S&T development which would later push China for science and technology modernization.

Currently, Chinese Academy of Science has focused on putting innovation at the heart of development in China thus defining the development strategy by reiterating on relying democratic management, talent and openness in the promotion of innovation research. CAS adopted the innovation 2020 program in 2011 which resulted in the academy’s remarkable commitment towards superior scientific advice, breakthrough science and technology and high caliber talent. So as to deploy resources more efficiently and also innovate more collectively, CAS has asked its institutes to define its strategic niche basing on the trends in the respective fields locally and abroad and also on the overall analysis of the scientific progress.

Key Facts

Outstanding Research Capacity

The scientists at CAS carry out research mainly in fields of basic science and technology as well as areas related to the public welfare, the development of emerging industries and strategic advanced technologies. CAS is made up of 140 research institutes, 3 universities, 12 branch academies and eleven supporting organizations in twenty three provincial-level areas across China. These institutes house over 100 engineering centers and national key labs plus additional 200 key labs and engineering Centers from CAS. In total, CAS is made up of 1000 stations and sites throughout the country.

Eighty percent of China’s large-scale science facilities are housed at CAS with eleven of them operating including the Experienced Advanced Superconducting Tokomak –EAST, the Beijing Electron Positron Collider –BEPCII, the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility- LAMOST and so many more. Among other facilities, CAS is developing the 500-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope-FAST and the Chinese Spallation Neutron Source-CSNS. The Chinese Ecosystem Research Network- CERN is also housed at the academy and has around 50 main field stations and 100 others all over the country. CERN carries out research and monitoring involving the environment and ecological systems. CAS has 26 herbaria, 13 botanical gardens plus a 150-TB scientific data storage facility.

The Chinese Academy of Science has 67,900 staff members with 56,000 professional researchers and among them 22,800 research professors and associate professors. The academy hopes to have much more leading scientists to work in the organization by 2020. Emphasis on the combination of education and research as well as cross-sector and interdisciplinary cooperation in innovation has been the academy’s strategy.

Currently, approximately 30 percent of the Key Basic Science Projects of China under 973 Program has been implemented by the academy’s scientists. Additionally, of the 32 first-class National science Prizes, the academy’s researchers have won 19. CAS is also affiliated with 34.2% of the researchers named as National Excellent young Scholars as well as forty percent of the principal Investigators for natural science projects which are getting funds from the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

The academy’s most recent achievements include new progress in the study of re-emerging superconductivity, several breakthroughs in quantum communication, and major milestones in stem cell research as well as the discovery of a vital attribute in regulating the development of the brain intelligence.

Talent Cultivation

CAS emphasizes on the cultivation, recognition and deployment of talent which has been achieved through the academy’s major roles in academic society and educational institutions. The academy has played a vital role in nurturing young S&T talent via its three affiliated universities including the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the University of Science and Technology of China as well as the ShanghaiTech University. Currently, the academy has around 64,977 doctoral and 85,884 master’s graduates. The three universities are greatly involved in research majorly in science, engineering and technology.

The highest accolade in the area of Science and technology in China is the CAS membership. Being a member of the academy remains to be a lifelong honor and one has to go through such a rigorous election process. There are three types of members including Foreign, Full and Emeritus which are grouped into six academic divisions including Earth Sciences, Mathematics and Physics, Information Technology Sciences, Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Chemistry and Technological Sciences. In partnership with the academy, the divisions function as China’s national scientific think tank.

Members have been major contributors on issues involving China’s economy, S & T progress and social development. Additionally, they provide the requisite guidance on individual scientific disciplines development and to the academy’s development. Moreover, they promote the public understanding of science and development by carrying out public lectures as well as international and domestic collaboration. At the moment there are 82 Foreign members and 777 Full and Emirates members with 15 having received the highest national science award in China which has only twenty recipients.

International Collaboration

The academy fully understands the importance of internationalization and views international collaboration as the major recipe for success as well as an effective means to maximize resources and potential across the world so as to address global challenges and advance science. The academy intensively partner and cooperate with scientists across the world. For instance, the academy has created twenty collaborative groups with German MPG in disciplines such as life sciences, astronomy and material science, and also developed the CAS-MPG partner-Institute of Computational Biology.

CAS scientists and researchers have not only initiated international scientific programs such as NPOCCE, TPE and IMP but also participated in global science programs such as International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor Programs and Human Genome Project. Thanks to the academy’s international talent programs, over 1000 foreign scientists have conducted their research at its institutes.

The Future: CAS Innovation 2020

The Academy’s Innovation 2020 focuses to promote innovation further and turn the scientific discoveries into remarkable technologies that foster sustainable development and economic growth. They are capitalizing on the development of emerging economies so as to make significant developments. The academy is also looking forward to enhancing cross-sector and interdisciplinary approach. It has the development of a world-class stem cell research and generative medicine program among its key goals. The academy has so much confidence in the Innovation 2020 initiative as well as the new management and they believe that the Chinese Academy of Science will grow into an innovative powerhouse not only in China but also across the world.

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