HE Yan, born in 1959 in Jilin province and graduated from Jilin University is the present vice secretary-general of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

As a researcher and a PH.D supervisor, he was once the director of Changchun Institute of Geography, the director of Bureau of Personnel and Education, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the president of ScienceTimes.

He is also the member of CAS Presidium and the executive vice-president of the Beijing Branch of Chinese Academy of Sciences.