Message from the President

Aug 22, 2014     Email"> PrintText Size

The Chinese Academy of Sciences looks back proudly on 2012 as a year of world-class scientific achievements as well as a year of organizational reform designed to foster even greater results. 

Last year, CAS honed ideas and concepts formulated over the past two years into an initiative called “Innovation 2020”. At the heart of this initiative is the goal of transforming CAS into an organization defined by democratization, openness and reliance on talent. CAS has achieved broad consensus for this program, which will enhance research freedom, improve research quality, deploy resources more efficiently and bring greater benefit to society, while integrating CAS’s functions as a research institution, higher education organization and academic society. 

CAS enjoyed numerous scientific achievements in 2012. The Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment discovered a third type of neutrino oscillation. Science called this discovery one of the 10 greatest scientific breakthroughs of the year. CAS scientists also teleported entangled photons over a distance of 100 km. Nature called this accomplishment “likely a milestone in long-distance quantum communication”. Furthermore, CAS achieved significant results in the fields of iron-based superconductors, topological insulators, the origin of life and evolution, major diseases, new materials, and new energy, among other areas. 

CAS’s innovative capacity was recognized in numerous ways in 2012. The number of high-level academic papers, as well as licensed patents and discoveries, all markedly increased. In addition, CAS received the largest number of science and technology awards among any individual or institution in China last year, with 18 second-class National Science Awards, representing 44% of all such prizes; seven second-class National Technical Discovery Awards; and one first-class and four second-class National Scientific Progress Awards. 

During 2012, CAS also transferred 8,500 items of technology, creating enterprise revenue of RMB 302.7 billion and generating tax revenue of RMB 47.8 billion. 

CAS scientists received numerous honors last year. CAS Member ZHENG Zheming received China's highest science and technology award. In addition, I was greatly honored to be elected President of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS). The honor accrues not to me as an individual, but to CAS as China’s science and technology R&D leader and to China as a rising S&T power. Nine CAS scientists were also elected as TWAS Fellows in 2012. In addition, 60 CAS scientists were newly awarded National Outstanding Young Scientist prizes last year while seven innovation groups received such prizes. 

CAS also continued to focus on talent development in 2012. Three CAS scientists recruited under the Thousand Talents Program set up research platforms in China that bring together domestic and international scientific expertise. Furthermore, an additional 172 CAS scientists were selected for the Thousand Talents Program and 281 individuals were selected for inclusion in CAS's own Hundred Talents Program. Last year, 12,000 students at CAS-affiliated institutions also received bachelor or graduate degrees. 

CAS fulfilled its role as a think tank during the previous year by providing extensive high-level recommendations to the Chinese government and other entities. CAS proposals and studies were incorporated into the National Strategy for Scientific and Technology Development 2020. Furthermore, CAS presented its report, Basic Research and the Development of Strategic Emerging Technologies, to the State Council. Throughout the year, CAS completed 28 consulting reports or proposals and received more than 40 important comments from national decision-makers. In all, both the quality and the influence of CAS's reports significantly rose during 2012. 

CAS continues to build a strong platform for innovation, with 54% of the Academy's professional staff 35 years old or younger. Building on our excellent achievements in 2012 and our outstanding talent, we look forward to even greater success in 2013.