Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)
Founded in 1949, the Chinese Academy of Sciences is the country's highest academic institution in natural sciences, its supreme scientific and technological advisory body, and a comprehensive national research and development center in natural sciences and advanced technology. It has 90 research institutes, one research-oriented university and one graduate school located in 13 major cities across the country: Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Hefei, Changchun, Shenyang, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Kunming, Xi'an, Lanzhou, Ururnqi (Xinjiang) and Hainan, with more than 43,000 professional staff and 38,000 graduate students. The Academy Divisions of CAS consist of six divisions, with 702 CAS Members and 53 foreign Members.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences always takes the provision of scientific knowledge, technical support and strong driving force to social and economic development, national security and improvement of the welfare of the Chinese people as its historical responsibility and duty. Since its founding, CAS has made significant contributions to strategic high technology, the improvements of social and economic sustainability, and the advancement of fundamental basic research. Its accomplishments include artificial synthesis of insulin, the development of the whole application system and necessary accessories for China’s manned space flight, sequencing of genomes and relevant research, etc. All this has not only contributed significantly to the modernization and advancement of science and technology in China, but also to the progress of human civilization. Especially, Enormous changes have taken place in CAS since the implementation of the Project of the Knowledge Innovation Program in 1998.
The goals of CAS is to build itself by 2020 into a scientific research base of internationally advanced level, a training base of high level scientific talents and a base for the promotion of the development of high and new technology enterprises in China. CAS will also become a national think-tank featured with “first-class achievements, first-class benefits, first-class management and first-class talents”.
