Fewer but Better: 56 New Academicians to CAS

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, December 10, 2001

Fewer but Better: 56 New Academicians to CAS

56 New Academicians to CAS

The result of the election of the first group of new academicians to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in the 21st century was published on December 9. Ye Zhaohui and 55 other scientists emerged from among the 337 full candidates, they have been elected to become academicians to the CAS, three of them aged below 40.

According to regulations, the election of additional academicians to the CAS takes place once every two years. The number of academicians to be elected this year is 60, but many academicians participating in the judging panel stuck to the fewer but better principle, and finally 56 new academicians were elected. Thus far, the number of academicians of the CAS totals 653. The 56 new academicians respectively belong to five general assemblies, namely, mathematical physics, chemistry, biology, geo-science and technical science, their average age is 60.4 years, the oldest is 75 years old, and the youngest 38 years of age. Among the newly elected academicians, eight are women scientists.

According to CAS President Lu Yongxiang, in this year's election work, academicians proposed formulating Science Morality Self-discipline Norms for CAS academicians, calling for participating in the election work in an objective, fair and just way, abandoning departmental and group interests and guaranteeing quality in the appraisal and election. The various general assemblies of the CAS earnestly observed the Statutes of the CAS Academicians and the Detailed Rules for the Implementation of the CAS Academicians Election Work, striving to create a good environment for the examination and approval work.

Lu Yongxiang said that among the newly added academicians, 22 are under 60 years old, accounting for 40 percent of the total newly elected academicians. Of them, Ren Yonghua, 38, was from Hong Kong University, Guo Lei with the Mathematics and Systems Science Institute under the CAS and He Fuchu with a military medical college are both 39 years old. There are also six scientists from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region who were elected as academicians to the CAS.

"10 Commandments" Set to Restrain Academicians' Conduct

Defending the pure land of scientific research, academicians taking the lead in self-discipline. The CAS Academicians' Science Morality Self-discipline Norm adopted recently by the Presidium of the General Assembly of the CAS, the supreme academic institution in the field of China's science and technology, aims to turn academicians into models of the country's scientific and technical workers by further carrying forward the scientific spirit in the scientific and technological circles.

Academician is the highest academic title set up by the State in the realm of science and technology, academicians have played an important role in the branches of learning and in the development of the national economy. In the process of the gradual establishment of a market economic order in recent years, due to an imperfect legal environment and other factors, the phenomena of neglect of morality and even moral degeneration have occurred from time to time, this is no exception with the scientific circle.

The 10-article Self-discipline Norms emphasize to the effect "All academicians should set an example, highly cherish and consciously maintain this honor; they should abide by laws and disciplines, the basic moral standard of the Chinese citizens and science moral norms in an exemplary manner; they should put the interests of the State, the people and all mankind above everything else and be models of the country's scientific and technical workers.

Lu Yongxiang hopes that academicians should energetically promote the scientific spirit, train and give guidance and help to young scientific and technological personnel, and do a good job of science popularization work, they should exercise strict self-discipline in science morality and the style of study, to become the examples of scientific and technical circles.

Academician Zhang Cunhao, vice-chairman of the Science Morality Construction Committee of the CAS General Assembly, indicated that formulation of the self-discipline norms reflects the voice of the academicians in general, academicians who have won the highest honorary title of the Chinese natural scientific circle not only should continue their efforts to make important contribution in science, but also should pay attention to moral cultivation and wage resolute struggle against acts in violation of laws and regulations.

By People's Daily Online

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