Home>>Sci-Edu
Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, March 01, 2003

China Leaps Ahead in Scientific Innovation

The top prize for China's State Natural Science Award ended a four-year drought Friday as the highest honor in the country's basic research fields finally went to a Shanghai scientist.


PRINT DISCUSSION CHINESE SEND TO FRIEND


The top prize for China's State Natural Science Award ended a four-year drought Friday as the highest honor in the country's basic research fields finally went to a Shanghai scientist.

Since the prize was assessed according to strict international standards, awarding it means China has reached globally advanced levels in innovative capability in some areas.

Only two scientists in China won the first prize in the State Natural Science Award in 1993 and 1997.

Huang Ying, an official with the state scientific awards office, said the long-time vacancy for the prize reflected the fact that China's innovative capability used to be at a relatively low level.

However, the situation had changed as the number of award winners in both natural science and technological invention surpassed that of previous years.

In view of the notable improvement, an official with the Ministry of Science and Technology said Chinese scientists had made rapid progress in original innovation in recent years.

Over the past few years, the Chinese government has targeted boosting the country's scientific innovation capability.

Since 1995, it has embarked on a campaign to rejuvenate the country by relying on the advances in science and education, and a huge investment has been channeled into scientific and technological research. More than 80 percent of the 2002 State Scientific and Technological Awards were won by government-funded research and development projects.

Five scientists have won the five-million-yuan top prize of the State Scientific and Technological Award since it was first presented in 2000. The winners includes mathematician Wu Wenjun, Chinese hybrid rice developer Yuan Longping, IT expert Wang Xuan, physicist Huang Kun and information and electronic engineering expert Jin Yilian.

Since 1998, the Chinese government has sped up reform of the science and technology system and worked hard to promote innovation and industrialization in the field.

Over 80 percent of the prize-winning projects in the 2002 State Scientific and Technological Awards have been put into business invarious ways, especially some major scientific results in such infrastructure areas as agriculture, transport and geographic research.

The Chinese government has formulated a strategy to attract talented people, focusing on cultivating capable people in the high-tech industry and high-level academic institutions, hiring overseas talents and encouraging overseas students to carve out their careers in China.

Officials with the Ministry of Science and Technology said young talents had played a major role in the scientific fields, noting that among winners at the 2002 awards, 36 percent are under the age of 40.

A large proportion of prize-winning R&D projects in 2002 were conducted by overseas students who returned to China.

It is expected that the country will continue to lift its innovative capacity to higher levels in its drive to build a comparatively comfortable life for its people.


Questions?Comments? Click here
    Advanced






Senior Scientists Win China's Top Award



 


Which Country, China or Japan, Does Russian Oil Pipeline Lead to? ( 3 Messages)

Chinese Fast Food Chains Battle Foreign Competitors ( 4 Messages)

Chinese Commemorate Dead Soviet Pilots ( 3 Messages)

China-ASEAN Economic Cooperation Upgraded ( 2 Messages)

Japan Strives to be Major World Power: Analysis ( 7 Messages)



Copyright by People's Daily Online, all rights reserved