The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) has cultivated and selected a large group of first-rate women scientists since its founding 50 years ago.

The academy now has more than 20,000 women employees, accounting for 34.1 percent of the total number of employees, said Guo Chuanjie, vice-president of the CAS, at a forum held in Beijing on October 20 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the academy's founding.

He said that the CAS has 538 women research professors, making up 11.6 percent of the total, and 3,243 women assistance research professors, or 28 percent of the total.

Since the reform and opening-up policy was implemented in 1978, the CAS has cultivated a group of women officials and entrepreneurs.

China has a total of 11.29 million women scientific workers, and the number is still growing rapidly, said Gu Xiulian, vice- chairman of the All-China Women's Federation, adding that a large group of women scientific workers and management personnel are working for the CAS.

She urged the CAS to further promote the progress of women employees and try to cultivate more female scientists, officials and management personnel. (Xinhua)