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CREDIT: DAYA BAY COLLABORATION
Contents 1
INTRODUCTIONS
3 Address From the President of the Chinese
Academy of Sciences
Professor Bai Chunli, Ph.D.
President, Chinese Academy of Sciences
4 Local Innovation, Global Benefits
Alan Leshner, Ph.D.
CEO, AAAS
Executive Publisher, Science
EDITORIAL NEWS REPORT
5 Introducing the Chinese Academy of Sciences
OVERVIEW
8 Overview of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
CAS/IN FOCUS—SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AT CAS
10 Research Focus and Progress at CAS
10 Recent Progress in Basic Research
14 Progress in Life Sciences and
Biotechnology
17 Resource and Environment Research
20 Research Framework and Progress
in High-Technology R&D
23 Strategic Priority Research Program
EDITORIAL NEWS REPORT
27 Major Research Programs and Platforms
CAS/IN FOCUS—SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AT CAS
30 Research Facilities and Platforms
30 “Big Science” Facilities of CAS
34 Scientific Plant Conservation in CAS
Botanical Gardens
35 Chinese Ecosystem Research Network
CONTENTS

2 Contents
CONTENTS
EDITORIAL NEWS REPORT
36 Attracting Top Talent
CAS/IN FOCUS—ATTRACTING TOP TALENT
39 CAS Talent Cultivation and Recruitment Program
40 CAS Fellowships and Cooperative Programs
for Foreign Talent
43 Research in Combination with Education
EDITORIAL NEWS REPORT
44 CAS and the Academy of Sciences for the
Developing World–A Fruitful Partnership
CAS/IN BRIEF
46 Award for International Scientific Cooperation
of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
46 CAS International Cooperation Award
for Young Scientists
47 Technology Transfer
48 Science Education and Communication
49 International Science Programs Initiated by CAS
Back Cover
LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS
ABOUT THE COVER: On March 8, 2012, the Daya Bay Collaboration announced the observation of a new neutrino
oscillation, or transformation, through the precision measurement of the nonzero θ 13 mixing angle at the 5.2σ level.
The picture shows the light sensitive photomultiplier tubes and the two nested acrylic vessels inside an antineutrino
detector before it was filled with liquid in preparation for the experiment. (Credit: Daya Bay Collaboration)
This booklet was produced by the Science/AAAS Custom Publishing Office and sponsored by the Chinese Academy
of Sciences. Materials that appear in this booklet were commissioned, edited, and published by the Science/AAAS
Custom Publishing Office and were not reviewed or assessed by Science Editorial staff.
Editor: Sean Sanders, Ph.D.; Layout: Amy Hardcastle; Proofing: Yuse Lajiminmuhip
© 2012 by The American Association for the Advancement of Science. All rights reserved. 31 August 2012
CREDIT: DAYA BAY COLLABORATION

CREDIT: COURTESY OF CAS
Introduction
This booklet, produced by Science and sponsored
by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) highlights
the latest scientific developments at CAS
institutes, including research plans and priorities,
as well as examples of work under way, in an attempt
to give the international scientific community
a clearer and more comprehensive understanding
of what CAS has accomplished.
CAS is the largest national scientific research
organization in China. In its 63-year history as a
comprehensive science and technology institution
engaging in basic research, high-technology
research and development, and public welfareoriented
research, CAS has had a vital and lasting
impact on research achievements in China and has
also established an innovative graduate training model where science education is supplemented
by, and based on, research. Through the development of deep and extensive ties
with the international scientific community, CAS has become a major player on the global
science arena.
The world is faced with severe challenges of sustainable development, which requires
the joint effort of the global science community to solve. China also needs to continue on
the path to innovations and modernization, focusing on endogenous growth to realize full,
coordinated, and sustainable development.
CAS is dedicated to developing green science and technologies, conducting research
on major science-based sustainability issues and developing key eco-friendly technologies.
CAS supports the sustainable utilization of energy and resources, and promotes green
manufacturing practices to ensure clean and recyclable use of materials and products with
the hope of improving quality of life, safeguarding the health of its people, and protecting
and improving the environment.
CAS is committed to promoting international cooperation within the fields of science and
technology. We will actively implement and participate in major scientific and technological
research collaborations of common concern. We will encourage scientific exchange with
other countries and joint training of young scientists and graduate students, open our research
facilities to the international science community, and support research collaboration
between CAS scientists and those from overseas.
I want to thank Dr. Leshner and Science. My appreciation also goes to my colleagues.
It is their efforts that enabled the timely publication of this booklet.
Professor Bai Chunli, Ph.D.
President
Chinese Academy of Sciences
From the President
CAS is the
largest national
scientific research
organization
in China.
3

4
China has made
great strides in
a wide range of
research areas,
from mathematics
to astronomy to
genomics.
Local Innovation, Global Benefits
In many ways, countries face the same challenges as new companies when
it comes to growth and expansion. Grow too fast and the company risks not
having enough time to build up its infrastructure and fully train its workers.
Grow too slowly and the demands of the market—in this metaphor, the country’s
socio-economic needs—will not be adequately met.
As China continues to grow at a very impressive pace, its leaders appear
acutely aware of the need to expand the country’s science and technology
portfolio to help fuel its growth and keep it sustainable. When it comes to
making positive changes in the sciences, China is surprisingly nimble for such
a large country. This agility appears to be a testament to the conviction that
many Chinese scientific leaders hold in the economic and social power of
science.
China has made great strides in a wide range of research areas, from mathematics
to astronomy to genomics. As the largest scientific organization in
China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) is a major driving force behind
these advances. Through support and guidance from CAS, China is focused on building “big science”
infrastructure—such as the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tomacak (EAST) and the Large Sky
Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST)—as well as on developing a talent pool of
top-notch scientists for the country. This talent pool is being built through programs to retain and cultivate
the best Chinese scientists (while encouraging them to travel globally for training and to develop collaborations)
as well as numerous incentive programs for international scientists to visit and work in China.
There are also many programs to build bridges of long-term collaborations among Chinese and foreign
institutions. One area of particular focus is young researchers who are generously supported in their work
through CAS-run initiatives, like the Hundred Talents Program and various foreign talent programs.
CAS supports cutting-edge research in many of the fields currently seen worldwide as areas of intense
interest and investigation. These include stem cell research and regenerative medicine, global climate
change (and its effect on world populations and economies), and the development of new green science
technologies that not only reduce carbon emissions, but also provide new, cleaner, and more efficient
sources of energy. The Academy also provides strong support for the transfer of new, innovative technologies
from the laboratory to industry, a process through which discoveries made locally can benefit people
across the globe.
As China moves into a new era of economic prosperity and scientific success, the role of CAS will undoubtedly
grow, both domestically and globally. By maintaining its focus on innovation, nurturing exceptional
talent, and building additional S&T capacity, CAS will surely meet the challenges of the coming years
from a position of stability and strength.
Alan Leshner, Ph.D.
CEO, AAAS
Executive Publisher, Science
Introduction

Research CAS/In Focus
Editorial News Report:
Introducing the Chinese Academy of Sciences
Gigantic skeleton from dinosaur fossils (Institute of
Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology)
CREDIT: PHOTOS BY RICKY WONG
The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) defies easy description.
Among other things, the semi-governmental organization’s 110
institutes carry out basic, applied, and translational research in
all fields of science; it builds and maintains “big science” facilities
for use by all of the country’s researchers; it runs a graduate school and a
university; it generates reports to advise policymakers; and it selects members,
an elite group considered to be the best scientists in China.
CAS was officially founded just one month after the establishment of the
People’s Republic of China, in 1949. “It was very clear to the Chinese leadership
at the time that if you want to have a sustainable economy, you need
to rely on science and technology,” says Lü Yonglong, director-general of
CAS’s Bureau of International Cooperation. Since then, CAS has taken on a
staggering array of roles. Originally tasked with coordinating all of the country’s
research activities, as well as providing science-based advice to the
government, CAS lost some of its authority to the new Ministry of Science
and Technology in 1958. Further marginalized during the Cultural Revolution
of the 1960s and '70s, when intellectuals were distrusted and universities
shut down, CAS began to recover in the late '70s along with the rest of
the country. Various steps were taken to reform the research system, but its
true renaissance began in 1998 with the advent of the so-called Knowledge
Innovation Program (KIP), which aimed to boost innovation in China by
remaking CAS. At that time, “the institutes had to reorient themselves, and
reevaluate staff,” Lü explains.
The upheaval was dramatic. Some of CAS’s 120 institutes were shut
down or merged with others, while most downsized their staff and faculty.
The Academy of Mathematical Sciences, for example, demoted or laid off
100 of its 160 full professors. In Shanghai, eight biological institutes merged
to form the Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences (SIBS), modeled on
the U.S. National Institutes of Health. “One of the advantages of this new
organization is that we can reform and reorganize these institutes according
to the progress of science,” says Chen Xiaoya, the current president of
SIBS. Some of the eight institutes were merged or eliminated, while new
ones have sprung up under KIP, including the Institute of Neuroscience,
the Chinese Academy of Sciences-Max Planck Society Partner Institute for
Computational Biology (PICB), and the Shanghai Pasteur Institute. Today’s
SIBS institutes are “working on the cutting edge of research,” or serving
society with a broader mandate, Chen says.
Ph.D. students and technicians work on
water extraction from plant and soil samples
(Institute of Geographic Sciences and
Natural Resources Research)
But CAS’s three major functions—
research, education, and consultation—
have remained unchanged.
Research
China’s central government charges CAS
with “playing a key role in leading China’s
research, especially in the frontiers of science,”
says Lü. Since KIP began, research
programs have been increasingly oriented
toward internationally popular frontier areas,
such as neuroscience, while also
continuing to cover areas of
particular interest to China,
such as developing new energy
sources and partnering
with domestic industries.
As it strives to conduct
world-class research, CAS
has increasingly pursued
international collaborations,
as well as aggressively recruiting
Chinese scientists
who have worked or studied
abroad (see page 36, “Attracting
Top Talent”), and
emphasizing publication in
international peer-reviewed
Lü Yonglong
journals when evaluating
staff and faculty. For example,
at SIBS’s Institute of
Neuroscience, Director Poo
Mu-ming (who also serves
as a professor of neurobiology
at the University of
California, Berkeley) has put
in place a rigorous system
Poo Mu-ming
Internal view of the Shanghai
Synchrotron Radiation Facility
5

6
Chen Chusheng
“As a result
of the past 30
years’ effort,
we have taken
the leading role
among steady-
state, long-pulse
tokamak facilities
Li Can
in the world.”
of review that faculty must pass every four
years. “Our criteria are very simple. We say
that if you can publish in a recognized highquality
journal, then you are reviewed in a
sense by international peers,” he says. “If
you do not have really good papers published
in four years, then you have to show
the international review team that your work
has potential that deserves continuing support.”
Poo credits these high standards with
gaining international recognition for China’s
neuroscience research. “We have the same
practices you find in first-rate universities in
the United States or in Europe,” he says.
Another SIBS institute, the PICB, takes
internationalization even further. Founded
in 2005 as the world’s first center dedicated
to computational biology, PICB draws
both Chinese and foreign faculty members.
Though he admits that there were
some kinks to be ironed out in working at
the interface of two different administrative
systems, PICB’s founding director, Andreas
Dress, says it was worth the trouble. “Science
is not a zero-sum game, but a cooperative
game,” he says. “The more people
that are involved in science, the better it
gets.” Accordingly, Dress ensured that the
PICB built strong ties not only with institutions
in the West, but also with others in the
region. “There is good science not only in
the United States and Western European
countries… people working
on these projects all around
China need to cooperate
with each other,” he says.
While international cooperation
is a theme at most
CAS institutes, many also
have research programs
geared toward addressing
near-term national needs. In
CAS’s early years, geology
programs were focused on
finding natural resources;
these days, the Center for Earth Observation and Digital Earth (CEODE,
see page 28) uses remote sensing and modeling to identify sites with gold
and other mineral deposits. But today’s CAS institutes also develop increasingly
sophisticated uses for the country’s resources. For example,
scientists at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) were the first to
successfully convert coal to light olefins, which can be used as fuel in lieu
of petroleum products. (Coal is abundant in China, petroleum less so.) The
institute licenses the technology to companies and runs its own commercial
plant, which made more than US$200 million in profits last year. Meanwhile,
DICP’s Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy (DNL), officially
opened in 2011, is working on a range of energy solutions, from efficiency
to better storage to biomass and solar sources. “This lab was built with a
new concept,” says DNL Director Li Can. “We try to integrate academic
research from universities, institutes, and from industry, and also start from
basic research and take it through to commercialization.” One promising
area of research for the lab is artificial photosynthesis; scientists there are
designing catalysts that can use solar energy to both split water to generate
hydrogen fuel and convert carbon dioxide and water to methanol.
The focus on the environment goes far beyond the search for clean energy
sources. Beijing’s Institute of Botany has set up six field research stations
in Inner Mongolia to study best management practices for China’s four
million square kilometers of grasslands, much of which is used as pasture.
The institute has proposed setting up special zones in which practices like
fertilization and irrigation would increase productivity in some sections of
grassland, while others would be put aside for national parks and ecotourism
zones. This would increase productivity while reversing the degradation
found on 90% of China’s grasslands today, says institute Director
Fang Jingyun.
Across town, at the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences,
scientists are working on new ways to remediate water, air, and soil pollution.
In the first category, they have engineered wetlands near cities to improve
water quality, and are developing new ways to remove toxins such as
arsenic and fluoride in water treatment plants. Another project developed a
catalytic method to clean air, then licensed it to air purifier makers in China
and abroad. “Our research develops very quickly from the basic research
to application,” says Center Director Qu Jiuhui. “We put our research results
into practice, and also we use our practical experience to identify new
scientific problems.”
Education
Training the next generation of scientists has been a key part of CAS’s
mission since its beginnings. “In the 1950s, CAS was the initiator, together
with the then-Ministry of Higher Education, of the higher education system
in China,” says Lü. “The system was interrupted during the Cultural Revolution,
but in the 1970s, CAS was the first to resume the graduate education
system,” awarding the country’s first doctorate degrees in the 1980s. Today
CAS operates two universities, the Graduate University of CAS (GUCAS)
and the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC); its 110
research institutes also play a key role in graduate education.
Students at GUCAS, China’s largest graduate university, follow a unique
program. The first year is spent completing coursework in Beijing, while
in subsequent years students fan out to CAS institutes to complete their
research projects. Many institute professors site this as an advantage of
the CAS system, since it frees them from lecture obligations while providing
GUCAS’s 35,000 students with a standardized curriculum and plenty of
hands-on experience.
USTC, located in Hefei (a few hours from Shanghai by high-speed train),
educates both undergraduates and graduates. With almost 18,000 current
CREDIT: PHOTOS BY RICKY WONG

CREDIT: PHOTOS BY RICKY WONG
Institute of Botany, CAS Guo Huadong
students, USTC is small compared to other top Chinese universities; for
its undergraduate program, it admits only students who score in the top
0.3%–0.5% on China’s college entrance examination. Seventy percent of
those undergraduates later go on to graduate school, many at elite institutions
in China and abroad. USTC Vice President Chen Chusheng compares
the university’s ambition to the nearby mountain Huangshan, said to be the
most beautiful in China: “We don’t want to be the tallest one or the biggest
one, but we want to be the best one.”
Part of being the best is maintaining a tradition in which all professors
teach undergraduates and welcome them into their labs, Chen says. This
tradition began when USTC was founded in the 1950s by some of the leading
lights in Chinese science, who then taught at the university. Similarly, he
says, being part of the CAS system makes the university less hierarchical
than others in China. “In science everyone is equal, so our students can
always challenge the professors, or professors can challenge the president
of the university,” he says. Yao Yuxi, a sophomore physics student at USTC,
agrees. “Almost every one of us have the opportunity to get into a lab if
we want to be a part of it, and they will accept us, one hundred percent,”
he says.
As for the graduate students, though, Chen concedes that the highest
achievers often prefer to go abroad rather than get a Ph.D. at USTC or
another Chinese university. “This is the key factor limiting the quality of research
nationwide, not just this university,” he says. “But as time goes by,
more of the best students are choosing to stay in China for their Ph.D. studies.”
Last year, two of USTC’s top five graduating physics majors stayed
at USTC for their graduate work. Chen is clear that he thinks overseas
experience is very valuable, however, and that his goal is not to see all of the
university’s best undergraduates stay on at USTC through graduate school.
“We would like a more balanced situation,” he says.
Consultation
In addition to its research and educational functions, CAS serves as China’s
most elite scientific honorary society, with about 700 members chosen on
the basis of their exceptional research records.
Membership in CAS confers much more than a plaque on the office wall.
“People say it’s an honor, and that’s true, but actually it’s a duty,” says Guo
Huadong, director general of CEODE, who became a member late last
year. “Becoming a CAS academician means, at my age, that it’s my task to
train the new generation… it means you should work hard.”
More concretely, becoming a CAS member often puts a scientist on the
fast track to an administrative position. It also places him or her in one of
CAS’s six Academic Divisions, which act as think tanks that advise policymakers
on scientific, economic, and social issues. During the 2003 SARS
outbreak, for example, the Academic Divisions gave advice on building response
systems, coping with panic, and treating patients, says CAS’s Lü.
University of Science and Technology
of China
CAS members can propose policy report
topics, and if their proposals are accepted,
they will receive funds to complete research
and write the reports. Or they can write a
letter directly to top policymakers. “They
have a very special channel to the central
government,” explains Lü. CAS provides
similar consultation services to local and
provincial governments.
So what is the common thread tying together
CAS’s many functions
and long, disparate
history? As Lü says, “CAS
is a locomotive driving force
for science and technology
development in China.” And
as the academy continues
to build world-class facilities,
recruit top talent, educate
the best and brightest
of the next generation,
and advise policymakers,
it looks set to remain such
a force for a long time to Qu Jiuhui
come.
“As time goes
by, more of the
best students are
choosing to stay
in China for their
Ph.D. studies.”
Editorial News Report
7

8
CAS Headquarters in Beijing
CAS consists
of three parts:
research institutes,
educational
institutions, and
the Academic
Membership
Divisions.
Overview of the Chinese
Academy of Sciences
The Chinese Academy of Sciences
(CAS) was founded on
November 1, 1949, in Beijing. As
a leading national academic institution,
a premier advisory body in science
and technology, and the largest research
and development organization in natural
sciences and high technologies in China,
CAS consists of three parts: research institutes,
educational institutions, and the Academic
Membership Divisions. The academy
is a ‘national team’ embodying the country’s
highest ideals in science and technology
(S&T), a ‘locomotive’ driving national
innovation in S&T, a ‘pioneer’ in supporting
nationwide S&T reform and transparency, a
‘think tank’ offering consulting services for
S&T development, and a ‘big school’ cultivating
S&T research talent.
According to its mission statement, the
academy targets the “national strategic
needs and world frontiers of science,” focusing
on scientific breakthroughs, innovation,
and the integration of key technologies.
The academy also strives to produce
world-class science and to continuously
make fundamental, strategic, and forwardlooking
contributions to China’s economy,
national security, and sustainable social development.
Covering most areas of basic research,
strategic advanced technologies, and issues
related to public welfare, CAS comprises
98 research institutes, 11 branch
Overview
offices, two universities, and six supporting organizations
in 23 provinces or autonomous regions throughout the
country. Of the 60,600 CAS staff, approximately 7,200 are
research professors and 3,200 are guest researchers.
As one of the bases for national higher education, CAS
built up its unique education system with the affiliated University
of Science and Technology of China (USTC) and the
Graduate University of CAS (GUCAS) as its core. Relying on
the research institutes, CAS shares postgraduate education
between the universities and research institutes, while graduate
students complete their graduate programs at related
institutes. Researchers from various CAS institutes are invited
to USTC or GUCAS as guest professors. The USTC is a
comprehensive university, with a total enrollment of 17,800,
of which 10,600 are graduate students. GUCAS—with its
current enrollment of 38,320—is China’s first and largest
graduate school.
The life-long title of CAS member is the highest academic
honor in the field of science and technology in China. The membership system
includes regular members, emeritus members, and foreign members,
all of whom are categorized into six academic divisions: Mathematics and
Physics, Chemistry, Life Sciences and Medical Sciences, Earth Sciences,
Information Technological Sciences, and Technological Sciences. The academic
divisions, which together function as a national scientific think tank,
provide advisory and appraisal services to the government and society on
major issues of the national economy, social development, and S&T progress.
Currently, there are 727 regular and emeritus members plus 64 foreign
members.
Large, advanced S&T infrastructure is a key resource and provides a
foundation for top quality scientific research. CAS has built and runs over
90% of China’s “big science” facilities. Eleven are currently in operation,
including the Beijing Electron Positron Collider, the Experimental Advanced
Superconducting Tokamak, and the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility.
Facilities under construction or planned include the China Spallation
Neutron Source and the Five-Hundred Meter Aperture Spherical Telescope.
The academy also runs the China Ecosystem Research Network
with about 150 field stations throughout the country covering ecological
systems, space environment, and offshore marine sciences. Supporting
countrywide research are 18 biological herbaria, a 150 terabyte scientific
data storage facility, and 267 academic journals.
CAS also plays a pioneering role in the high-technology industry, initiating
the country’s first S&T industry park and the first private S&T enterprise,
and nurturing a series of spin-off companies including the computer maker,
Lenovo. In cooperation with companies, universities, and local governments,
CAS has set up 29 technology-transfer or incubation centers, eight
S&T parks, and over 250 joint research entities. In 2011, a total of 1,800
CAS
technologies were processed through the transfer offices, with contract
OF
revenue of 1.7 billion yuan (US$267.9 million). The sale of over 700 CAS
spin-off companies grossed 262.9 billion yuan (US$41.43 million), with pretax
profits of 8.7 billion yuan (US$1.37 billion).
COURTESY
CAS attaches great importance to international cooperation and
exchange, with the aim of establishing strategic cooperative relationships CREDIT:

CREDIT: COURTESY OF CAS
Overview
with premier research institutions, universities, multinational corporations,
and international organizations through various mechanisms, including
joint sponsorships to build research institutes, partner groups, research
cooperation, and personnel exchange and training. In collaboration with the
German Max Planck Society and the French Institut Pasteur, CAS has built
two international institutes, the CAS-MPG Partner Institute of Computational
Biology and the Institut Pasteur of Shanghai. CAS scientists initiated several
international research programs, such as the Third Pole Environment, the
Northwestern Pacific Ocean Circulation and Climate Experiment, and the
International Ecosystem Management Partnership. CAS also took an active
part in well-known global programs such as the Human Genome Program;
international programs on climate change, including IGBP, IHDP, WCRP,
and DIVERSITAS; and the International Thermonuclear Experimental
Reactor Program.
CAS scientists conduct quality research work in such fields as chemistry,
physics, material sciences, mathematics, and geology, resulting in a
number of scientific achievements, including the synthesis of artificial
bovine insulin, the development of the Mathematics-Mechanization
Platform, the description of finite element methodology in mathematics,
providing a proof that may aid in solving the Goldbach conjecture,
sequencing 1% of the human genome, the development of the Godson
general-purpose CPU chip, the building of the Dawning and Shenteng
supercomputers, the development of scientific instruments for manned
space missions and lunar exploration, the technology to convert methanol
to light olefins, coal liquefaction techniques, permafrost roadbed technology
CAS Institutional Map in China
crucial for construction of the Qinghai-Tibet railway, and realization of
the efficient and long-lived quantum memory with cold atoms inside
a ring cavity.
For years, CAS has been actively involved in supporting China’s modernization
drive, including initiating the National High-Technology R&D
Program (“863” Program), aiding in creating the national science foundation
system, participating in national territorial planning, and supporting
global climate change research. In 2009, the Science & Technology in
China: A Roadmap to 2050 series was published, outlining major scientific
issues and critical technical problems in China’s modernization
process, and offering suggestions on how to resolve them to cement
the role of science and technology in realizing China’s modernization
goals by 2050.
Rapid global development requires that CAS enhance its innovation capabilities.
CAS is currently preparing a new plan called “Innovation 2020”
which will succeed the Knowledge Innovation Program. This new project
addresses a list of strategic S&T issues concerning national modernization
across many areas, such as space, information, energy, resources,
agriculture, marine science, human health, ecology and the environment,
and advanced materials and manufacturing. With “reform and innovation
for harmonious development” as its motto, CAS is committed to being an
organization with “first-class achievements, first-class efficiency, first-class
management, and first-class talent.” It is the aim of CAS to always make
fundamental, strategic, and forward-thinking contributions to China’s economy,
national security, and social development.
9

10
CAS/In Focus
The Five Hundred Meter Aperture Spherical
Telescope (FAST) in Guizhou Province.
Quantum
communication
is a new
interdisciplinary
research field with
the potential of
realizing secure
communication
by exploiting
information theory
and the physical
laws of quantum
mechanics.
Scientific Research at CAS
Research Focus and Progress at CAS
Recent Progress
in Basic Research
Overview
A primary function of the Chinese Academy
of Sciences (CAS) is to conduct basic scientific
research to discover and understand
matter in its many forms, from the subatomic
level through to the scale of the universe.
It also seeks to use its broad knowledge
base to advance technological innovation
and promote technology transfer. Fields
of study include particle physics, nuclear
physics, condensed matter physics, chemistry,
mechanics, astronomy, and the highly
interdisciplinary fields of nanoscience and
nanotechnology.
Mathematics
Research at CAS covers many of the major
research fields in mathematics and systems
science, including number theory, algebra,
geometry and topology, mathematical physics,
operational research and management
sciences, systems and control, probability
theory and statistics, scientific computing,
and computational mathematics. The National
Center for Mathematics and Interdisciplinary
Sciences (NCMIS) was founded in
2010 with the mission of combining mathematics
and other sciences in a national research
platform for interdisciplinary studies.
Representative advances in mathematics in recent years include: the
“Multiplicity One Conjecture” in infinite dimensional representation (1), the
Deligne-Langlands Conjecture for affine Hecke algebras (2), hyperbolic rational
maps (3), the Kadison-Singer Algebra (4,5), the Schubert Calculus
(6), and the limit of the Boltzmann Equation to the Euler Equations for Riemann
problems.
Physics
Over the last few years, global attention has been garnered by contributions
from China in the field of condensed matter physics, particularly in
the area of iron-based superconductors in 2008, when six different groups
from CAS institutes and laboratories were involved in searching for new
iron-based superconductors with higher transition temperatures. In fact,
China still holds a world record for the highest transition temperature. Research
achievements include the pairing mechanism of iron superconductivity
and the discovery of the new materials (7–9). CAS physicists have also
made important contributions to topological materials, one of the frontiers
of condensed matter physics—including the theoretical and experimental
demonstration of three dimensional topological insulators, such as Bi 2 Se 3
and Bi 2 Te 3 , which have become two of the most popular topological insulators
(10). Work on the Bi 2 Se 3 family of insulators was first done in collaboration
with physicists at Stanford University in the United States (11).
Quantum communication is a new interdisciplinary research field with the
potential of realizing secure communication by exploiting information theory
and the physical laws of quantum mechanics. Pan Jianwei, a scientist at
the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), is leading the
CAS Quantum Science Satellite project, the purpose of which is to explore
quantum communication on a global scale. He and his team have
made several pioneering achievements in the field, for example, successfully
demonstrating quantum teleportation over 97 km in open air. Quantum
teleportation is the process of transferring quantum information from one
point to another. His group has made important developments, including an
ultrabright entangled photon source; a high-frequency and high-accuracy
acquiring, pointing, and tracking technique; and tailored telescope designs
for satellite-based free-space transmission (12).
Organic photoresponse materials and devices.
CREDIT: COURTESY OF CAS

CREDIT: (FROM TOP) FROM THE HEFEI INSTITUTES OF PHYSICAL SCIENCE, CAS;
FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF CHINA
Research CAS/In Focus
The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST)
Chemistry
Over the past decade, CAS has worked hard to develop its research capacity
in chemistry. A group from USTC, following the demonstration of
single-molecule magnetism through molecular manipulation (13), succeeded
in integrating two functions into one molecule (14). In addition, through
resonant tuning of molecular states by nanocavity plasmons, they discovered
an unusual molecular electroluminescence at the nanoscale level (15).
These findings provide new insights into the functioning of single-molecule
devices and nanoscale optoelectronic integration.
At a supramolecular level, advances in understanding the driving forces
behind the formation of nanoarchitectures has enabled the rational design
of nano-patterned, hierarchical molecular assemblies, which have been
further used to investigate surface host-guest chemistry, surface chirality,
molecular electrochemistry, and other fundamental physiochemical properties
(16–18).
CAS scientists have made significant
progress in studying the catalytic performance
of dual catalysts (19) and in
understanding the interfacial confinement
(20) and morphological effects
(21) of some catalytic systems. CAS
chemists have also achieved a series of
breakthroughs in molecular electronics.
Synthesis and controllable assembly
of new conjugated molecular systems
(e.g., graphdiyne) have led to organic
semiconductors (p- and n-types) with
high mobility (>1.0 cm 2 .V -1 .S -1 ) (22, 23)
and photovoltaic materials with high en-
ergy conversion efficiency (>7.0%) (24,
25). Moreover, the interfacial properties
Hefei Synchrotron Light Source
within organic field-effect transistors have been investigated and new technologies
have been developed for low-cost, large-area, and flexible organic
circuits (26).
Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
CAS has pioneered and played a leading role in nanoscience research in
China. With its strategic deployment in the fields of nanomaterials, nanocharacterization,
nanodevices, and nanobiomedicine, CAS has achieved
significant progress in revealing fundamental aspects of the novel properties
of a wide range of engineered nanostructures. For examples, CAS
researchers have developed a series of nanostructures and multifunctional
nanodevices based on carbon nanotubes (27–30); graphene (31, 32);
graphdiyne (33); nanocrystalline copper with superplastic extensibility (34,
35), ultrahigh strength, and high electrical conductivity (36, 37); nanostructures
for high density memory devices (38) and high efficiency solar cells
(39); and drug delivery systems for cancer
therapies (40).
Significant progress has been made
in advancing technology transfer in the
energy, health, environmental, and manufacturing
sectors. A series of superhydrophobic
surfaces based on micro- and
nanostructures have been fabricated
(41, 42), leading to the invention of the
nanomaterial-based green printing plate
technology which has already been applied
successfully in the printing industry.
A nanocoating technology using room
temperature vulcanization with silicone
rubber capable of dirt-flashover resistance
has been developed and applied
11

12
CAS/In Focus
Cooler Storage-Ring at the Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou.
in the state electrical grid in China. Additionally, a number of industrial
plants for ethylene glycol production from coal have been launched
using novel nanocatalysts.
Astronomy
In terms of observational studies, CAS astronomers have produced a series
of important achievements in such fields as cosmic matter distribution and
properties, galaxy evolution and formation, the magnetic field and chemical
evolution of the Milky Way Galaxy, and the mechanisms underlying changes
in solar activity. China has won international praise for these achievements,
for instance the 2008 discovery of excessive amounts of very high energy
cosmic ray electrons (43), modeling of the formation and evolution of galaxies
and the large-scale structures in the universe using digital simulation
(44), elucidating distributions of dark matter in the universe through the
gravitational lensing effect (45), developing the theory of binary population
synthesis for the study of peculiar stars (46), and modeling loop-top X-ray
sources and reconnection outflows in solar flares with intense lasers (47).
In terms of key observational facilities and technology development,
CAS astronomers have successfully built a series of telescopes, such
as the solar magnetic field telescope, the 2.16-meter optical telescope,
and the Large Sky Area Multi-object Fiber Spectroscopy Telescope (LA-
MOST), as well as making good progress in building the Five-Hundred
Meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST), the Chinese Antarctic Observatory,
and three space astronomical satellites including the Hard
X-Ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT), the Space Multi-Band Variable
Object Monitor (SVOM) and the Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE).
They have shown that China can now independently develop modern
large- and medium-size telescopes. In particular, LAMOST integrates
many innovations in telescope technology, ranking China among the few
countries that have mastered the technology for building large, modern
telescopes.
Mechanics
CAS has a long history of research in many different mechanics-related
fields, including nano-/microscale mechanics and microsystems, high temperature
gas dynamics and supersonic flight technologies, microgravity
science and applications, oceanic and environmental engineering, energy
and transportation, mechanics in advanced manufacturing, and biomechanics
and bioengineering. CAS researchers have achieved significant
Research
progress in turbulent flow theory and biomechanics: a non-frozen flow
model (48) for space-time correlations in turbulent shear flows has been
developed, which was shown to be an alternative for experimental measurements
of turbulent flow following invalidation of the well-known Taylor’s
model. This methodology is being developed for large-eddy simulation of
turbulence-generated noise and particle-laden turbulence. In biomechanics,
a new and growing area, scientists have highlighted the mechanobiological
coupling of binding kinetics and forced dissociation of receptorligand
interactions that are crucial to many biological processes under
blood flow (49).
Research from Large Scientific Facilities
CAS has built around 20 “big science” facilities, greatly supporting frontiers
research. The Daya Bay reactor neutrino experiment contributed to the
discovery of a new kind of neutrino transformation (50), while the Beijing
Electron Positron Collider (BEPC) was used to find a new sub-atomic
particle: the X(1835) (51, 52). Three synchrotron radiation facilities, the
Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility (BSRF), the Hefei Synchrotron Light
Source (HLS), and the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF),
have made a series of major breakthroughs in the fields of condensed
matter physics, life sciences, chemistry, materials science, nanotechnology,
energy science, and environmental science (53–57). The Experimental
Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) was used to generate data
recognized at an international level, such as the longest 30s H-mode
discharges achieved by using wave heating methods in present-day
tokamak plasmas (58, 59).Using the Cooler Storage Ring at the Heavy Ion
Yangbajing International Cosmic Ray Observatory
CREDITS: (FROM TOP) FROM THE INSTITUTE OF MODERN PHYSICS, CAS;
FROM THE INSTITUTE OF HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS, CAS

CREDIT: FROM THE SHANGHAI INSTITUTE OF APPLIED PHYSICS
Research CAS/In Focus
The Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility
Research Facility in Lanzhou (HIRFL-CSR), direct mass measurements of
short-lived nuclides such as 65 As were made, approaching a precision of
Dm/m ~ 10 -6 , a result that has an important impact on nucleosynthesis
in the rapid proton capture process (60). Additionally, a clinical study
of heavy-ion cancer therapy was successfully carried out at this facility.
Work at the Yangbajing International Cosmic Ray Observatory, produced
measurements that demonstrate that galactic cosmic ray intensity is nearly
isotropic (61).
Outlook
Looking to the future, CAS will continue to focus on discovery in basic
research and seek new understandings of the universe. It will address
the most fundamental questions about matter and challenge our
basic understanding of physical and chemical phenomena. In a time of
energy shortages and an increasing need for environment protection,
CAS is committed to finding solutions to real world problems through
basic research.
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2. N. Xi, J. Amer. Math. Soc. 20, 211 (2007).
3. G. Cui, L. Tan, Invent. Math. 183, 451 (2011).
4. L.Ge, W. Yuan, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 107, 1838 (2010).
5. L. Ge,W. Yuan, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 107, 4840 (2010).
6. H. Duan, Invent. Math. 159, 407 (2005).
7. Z. Ren et al., Chin. Phys. Lett. 25, 2215 (2008).
8. J. Dong et al., Europhys. Lett. 83, 27006 (2008).
9. X. Chen et al., Nature, 453, 761 (2008).
10. H. Zhang et al., Nature Phys. 5, 438 (2009).
11. Y. Chen et al., Science, 325, 178 (2009).
12. J. Yin et al., http://arxiv.org/abs/1205.2024 (2012).
13. A. Zhao et al., Science 309, 1542 (2005).
14. S. Pan et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 106, 15259 (2009).
15. Z. Dong et al., Nat. Photonics 4, 50 (2010).
16. D. Wang, L. Wan, C. Bai, Mater. Sci. Eng. R-Rep. 70, 169 (2010).
17. J. Liu et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 133, 21010 (2011).
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19. H. Liu, T. Jiang, B. Han, S.Liang, Y. Zhou, Science 326, 1250 (2009).
20. Q. Fu et al., Science 328, 1141 (2010).
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22. R. Li, W. Hu, Y. Liu, D. Zhu, Accounts Chem. Res. 43, 529 (2010).
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33. G. Li et al., Chem. Commun. 46, 3256 (2010).
34. L. Lu, M. Sui, K. Lu, Science 287, 1463 (2000).
35. T. Fang, L. Li, N. Tao, K. Lu, Science 331, 1587 (2011).
36. L. Lu et al., Science 304, 422 (2004).
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38. X. Zhou et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 99, 032105 (2011).
39. S. Lu et al., Nanoscale Res. Lett. 6, 576 (2011).
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13

14
CAS/In Focus
Progress in Life
Sciences and
Biotechnology
The rapid development in China over the
past two decades has precipitated some
environmental and social problems, such
as pollution, an energy shortage, and
overpopulation. In order to address these
problems and maintain sustainable development,
the Chinese Academy of Sciences
(CAS) has established a comprehensive
and effective research system in the life sciences
and biotechnology, with 21 institutes
and more than 8,000 staff, covering fields
from health and medicine, to agriculture, to
industrial biotechnology, to biodiversity and
biological resources.
Figure 1. Important structures solved by CAS scientists: the
mitochondrial respiratory membrane protein complex II (left), the
spinach major light-harvesting complex (top right), and the H5N1 RNA
polymerase PA/PB1 complex.
The Chinese
Academy of
Sciences (CAS)
has established a
comprehensive and
effective research
system in the life
sciences and
biotechnology.
Health and Medicine
To promote physical and mental health,
CAS supports and conducts interdisciplinary
translational research to establish a
complete innovation chain from basic research
to clinic trials, which includes major
biomedical areas such as genomics, protein
science, reproductive and developmental
biology, neuroscience, cognitive and
psychological sciences, major chronic and
infectious diseases, nutrition science, stem
cells, and regenerative medicine as well as
innovative drug research and development.
In protein science, new methods and
technologies in structural and functional
research have been developed. The structures
of several important membrane proteins
and protein complexes have been
Research
solved, including the crystal structures of the mitochondrial respiratory
membrane protein complex II and spinach major light-harvesting complex
(1, 2) (Figure 1). Recently, many virus-related structures, including those of
SARS coronavirus proteins, H5N1 RNA polymerase PA/PB1 complex, and
the entire structure of EV71 (3-6), have been elucidated, providing a biological
basis and insights for viral diseases prevention and control.
In neuroscience and cognition, a series of novel discoveries have been
made, such as the discovery of new mechanisms in the guidance of neuronal
migration and in nerve cell development and polarization, and characterization
of cation channel functions in nerve axon growth-oriented signaling
and information processing in glial cells (7–10). In addition, more
complex behaviors such as decision-making, learning, light preference,
and visual cognition have been systematically investigated. One recently
completed study determined the social hierarchy within groups of mice and
demonstrated that mouse social status is bidirectionally controlled by synaptic
strength in the medial prefrontal cortex (11–15).
Advances in stem cells and regenerative medicine will likely lead to nextgeneration
clinical therapies. Several breakthroughs have been achieved,
such as demonstration of the developmental pluripotency of induced pluripotent
stem cell (iPSCs), establishment of iPSC lines from rats and pigs,
oocyte reprogramming, conversion of somatic fibroblasts into functional
hepatocyte-like cells, and the improvement of iPSC-generation protocols
using Vitamin C (16–21).
Research on disease mechanisms can improve clinical treatment. At
CAS, the molecular mechanisms underlying diabetes have been identified,
including the relationship between the regulation of exocytosis and blood
glucose control, and the mechanism of action of nonpeptide, small molecule
agonists on the glucagon-like peptide receptor (22, 23). In addition, a
study on the Chinese population was conducted to systematically investigate
the effects of genetic and nutrition/lifestyle factors on the development
of so-called metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes (24).
CAS has made a concerted effort to set up a comprehensive drug innovation
system ranging from target identification and validation, to preclinical
research and clinical development. To date, approximately 120
drugs have been commercially launched and/or out-licensed, including antofloxacin
hydrochloride (the first patented quinolone class antibiotic agent),
depsides salt (a prominent example of the modernization of traditional Chinese
medicine), and acehytisine hydrochloride (an injectable antiarrhythmic
drug), and a number of drug candidates are presently undergoing clinical
trials. In addition, recombinant epidermal growth factor, injectable recombinant
staphylokinase, and other biopharmaceuticals have been developed.
Figure 2. Rice cultivar XS11 carrying the ipa1 locus shows
characteristics of an ideal plant type, indicating ipa1’s great
potential for enhancing rice grain yield.
CREDITS: (FROM TOP) PROVIDED BY THE INSTITUTE OF BIOPHYSICS;
PROVIDED BY THE INSTITUTE OF GENETICS AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY

CREDITS: (SCIENCE COVER PHOTO) Y. ZHANG, D. PAN, AND L.-Y. LUO;
PROVIDED BY THE KUNMING INSTITUTE OF ZOOLOGY
Research CAS/In Focus
Figure 3. CAS scientists have been studying the origin and evolution of domesticated animals.
Agriculture
In agricultural research, CAS not only places emphasis on fundamental
research areas such as genomics, genetics, and evolution and developmental
biology, but also focuses on practical applications such as plant
breeding, aquaculture, and biopesticides.
In areas of rice genomics and functional genomics, CAS scientists
have successfully completed the draft sequence and whole genome
fine map of indica rice (25) and determined the sequence of
chromosome 4 from japonica rice (26). Subsequent genetic and functional
studies revealed several important agronomic genes controlling
important traits, including those for tillering control [IPA1 (27) and
MOC1 (28)], (Figure 2), salt tolerance [SKC1 (29) and HAL3 (30)],
uppermost internode elongation [Eui (31)], control of grain weight [GW2
(32)], grain filling [GIF1 (33)], and erect growth [LA1 (34) and PROG1 (35)].
These genes are considered valuable candidates for future molecular design
breeding.
In animal research, CAS focuses mainly on genetics and evolution. CAS
participated in the international project on the chicken genome, in which
British broiler, Swedish layer, and Chinese Silkie chickens were sequenced
and about two million genetic variations analyzed. Genomic studies have
also provided insights into the origin and genetic diversity of major Chinese
domestic animals such as pigs, goats, and dogs (36–38) (Figure 3). In addition,
CAS scientists successfully cloned 22 cattle from adult somatic cells
between 2002 and 2005.
Progress has also been made in the early warning and control of agricultural
disasters. For example, locust plagues in China have been studied
comprehensively, looking at the molecular mechanisms of plague formation
as well as the impact of climate change. CAS researchers reconstructed a
1,910-year-long time line of locust outbreaks in China and found statistically
significant associations between locust abundance, precipitation, and
temperature (39). In addition, studies suggested that the CSP and Takeout
gene families could modulate the behavioral phase changes in migratory
locusts (40).
With regard to practical applications, CAS has developed many
valuable crop, fruit, and fish varieties, as
well as biopesticide products. New wheat
varieties including the “Xiaoyan” series,
“Chuanyu” series and “Kenong199” were
developed (Figure 4). The high-yield, disease-resistant
and high-quality “Xiaoyan”
varieties were originally produced by crossbreeding
Elytrigia elongatum with wheat.
“Xiaoyan 6,” planted in a 10 million hectare
area, showed an increased yield of 400,000
tons. The “Jintao” variety of kiwifruit has
been patented and out-licensed internationally.
More than 20 new varieties of cold-
and disease-resistant wine grapes such
as “Jingxiu” and “Beimei” have also been
developed. In aquaculture research, CAS
scientists bred and developed a series of
major aquatic products, such as the allogynogenetic
silver crucian carp, “Zhongke3,”
“Dalian1” hybrid abalone, and “Zhongkehong”
bay scallop. Furthermore, several
insect virus biopesticides against cotton
bollworm and other pests have been developed,
accounting for a total annual production
of 5 tons of ingredients and 200 tons of reagents, with an application
area of 2 million hectares. CAS has also made progress in the breeding,
planting, and processing of high-yield pyrethrum. Over 8,000 hectares of
pyrethrums have been planted, making up 30% of world production.
Industrial Biotechnology
One of CAS’s innovation priorities is to apply the principles of industrial
biotechnology to reduce the environmental impact of industrial processes
and to utilize renewable biological resources instead of nonrenewable resources.
To achieve these goals, CAS has been focusing on the construction
of research systems with an emphasis on biomass materials, microbes
and industrial enzymes, bioprocesses and bioreactors, and bio-based
products.
In northern China, the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology was
established as a cooperative venture between CAS and the Tianjin municipal
government. The Institute of Microbiology and the Qingdao Institute of
Bioenergy and Bioprocess Technology are also engaged in industrial biotechnology
research and development. In the south, the Huzhou Industrial
Biotechnology Center was created through the joint efforts of the Shanghai
Institutes for Biological Sciences and local government agencies. Also established
were the National Engineering Laboratory for Industrial Enzymes
and the CAS Key Laboratories of Synthetic Biology, Photobiology, Systems
Microbial Biotechnology, and Environmental and Applied Microbiology. The
Research Network on Applied Microbes has helped integrate the microbial
resources data from 17 CAS institutes via the World Data Center for Microorganisms,
hosted by CAS.
In order to promote technology application, the CAS Bioindustry Innovation
Alliance was established, which allows CAS-developed biological techniques
to be rapidly transferred to its 170 industrial partners. One example
of success is the production of the antiparasitic, doramectin, by China’s first
ever genetically engineered drug-producing cell line. In addition, CAS has
been improving its knowledge transfer platform for industrial biotechnology,
while also supporting the CAS Biotechnology Innovation and Bio-industry
Promotion Program.
15

16
CAS/In Focus
Figure 4. CAS scientists have made advances in wheat
breeding, developing new varieties including the “Xiaoyan”
series, “Chuanyu” series, and “Kenong 199.”
Biodiversity and Biological Resources
In the field of biodiversity conservation, the most important progress has
been the publication of the compilations Flora of China, Fauna of China,
and Spore Flora of China. Flora of China, which was first published in 1959
and has been updated regularly since then, is the world’s most comprehensive
description of flora. It contains 80 volumes, summarizing 301 families,
3,408 genera, and 31,142 species of plants, providing an in-depth description
of vascular plants in China. Advances in conservation have also been
made by the Institute of Hydrobiology, which has developed an ex-situ
conservation site at Tian’ezhou and conducted captive breeding for the
Yangtze finless porpoise, the only successful case of ex-situ conservation
for cetaceans (41, 42).
While performing biodiversity conservation, CAS also recognizes the
importance of better utilizing biological resources. Attention is being paid
to the domestication of valuable species, the first step towards sustainable
utilization. For example, an elite variety of Plukenetia volubilis, whose seeds
contain a specific healthy, edible oil, has been domesticated and registered.
In addition, new varieties of orchids as well as of Lycium barbarum,
Dendrobium officinale, and Curcuma alismatifolia were certified and/or
registered. CAS recognizes that the in depth study of biological resources
may identify good candidates for biopharmaceuticals. For instance, indole
alkaloids from Alstonia scholaris have been approved by the Chinese State
Food and Drug Administration for clinical trials for the treatment of respiratory
diseases (43). Oricinoside from a traditional Chinese medicinal herb has
been developed as a new antidepressant class 1 drug and approved for
phase I, II, and III clinical trials.
To achieve improved biodiversity conservation and resource utilization,
ongoing basic research in this field is required. In recent years, many research
achievements have gained international recognition, including studies
on the influence of climate on outbreaks of locust plagues (39), the
mechanism of cellulose and hemicellulose metabolism by the giant panda
gut microbiome (44), behavioral thermoregulation in turtle embryos (45),
germ-line mutational patterns in Drosophila melanogaster (46), and pollination
ecology of Cypripedium fargesii (47) .
Summary
In summary, CAS has made great strides in research at the forefront of
both basic life sciences and key applied biotechnologies. These advances
can be attributed in large part to mature innovation chains in biomedicine,
Research
agriculture, industrial biology, and biological resources. Going forward,
CAS will continue to extend these innovation chains by placing emphasis
on the major frontiers of regenerative medicine, molecular design breeding,
bioenergy, and biological resources-based innovations. With its broad
spectrum of research, CAS is keen to establish cooperation with domestic
and international research institutions, universities, medical institutes, and
enterprises to pursue interdisciplinary collaborations.
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CREDIT: PROVIDED BY THE INSTITUTE OF GENETICS AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY,
AND THE CHENGDU INSTITUTE OF BIOLOGY

CREDIT: COURTESY OF CAS
Research CAS/In Focus
Figure 1. Different measures for cooling of the Qinghai-Xizang Railway roadbed: (A) thermosyphons;
(B) shading-board; (C) ventiduct embankment; (D) crushed rock covered embankment;
(E) crushed rock-based embankment; and (F) bridge substituting for embankment.
Resource and Environment
Research
Resource and environment research is considered one of the most important
components in modern science and technology for creating a solid
foundation for sustainable socio-economic development. It covers the research
areas of geology, geophysics, geodesy, geochemistry, atmospheric
science, oceanology, geography, environment science, resource science,
remote sciences, and ecology. Under the Chinese Academy of Sciences
(CAS) framework, there are a total of 27 institutes focusing on this area,
with an aggregate research workforce of over 7,000 permanent staff, more
than 1,000 temporary staff, and nearly 7,000 graduate students. There are
20 state key laboratories generating observational data: five field station
networks—including the Chinese Ecosystem Research Network (CERN),
the Chinese Special Environment and Disaster Research Network (SEDN),
the CAS Offshore Marine Observation and Research Network, and the
Solar-Terrestrial Space Environmental Observation Network and Global Atmosphere
Watch (CAS-GAW)—as well as a number of ships carrying out
scientific investigations.
Solid Earth Science
CAS scientists have made great strides in palaeontology and stratigraphy,
continental dynamics and deep earth processes, and quaternary and
global changes as well as studies of hydrocarbon resources and mineral
resources.
Example: Palaeontology and Stratigraphy
CAS scientists have made exciting progress exploring the origins of life
and understanding the coevolution of humans and their natural environment.
Stratigraphic studies have shed light on the paleontological mystery
of the Cambrian Explosion, known as one of the “top 10 scientific
conundrums” among the international science community. Seven of 10
“golden spikes” (GSSP)—exact points
in geological time—in China have been
defined by CAS scientists, positioning
China as a global leader in stratigraphy.
Studies on the origin and evolution of
vertebrate taxa have allowed existing
hypotheses to be modified and improved
and provided data to clarify the
origin and early evolution of some important
vertebrate categories.
Geographical Science
CAS research in the geographical sciences
focuses mainly on the scientific exploration
and investigation of national natural
resources, geographic differentiation,
geographical processes, land and water
resources, and regional spatial development
and regional planning as well as remote
sensing and geographic information
technology.
Example: Geographical
Processes
Comprehensive and systematic research
has been conducted on
geographical processes, such as
transformation processes in the atmosphere-surface-soil-groundwater
cycle, surface processes related to
soil erosion and land use, cryosphere
CAS scientists have
made exciting
progress exploring
the origins of life
and understanding
the coevolution
of humans and
their natural
environment.
17

18
CAS/In Focus
Important results
have been
produced in
atmospheric
science, focusing
on weather
prediction and
climate modeling...
Ecosystem Restoration Regions:
Cooperating with Eight Provinces
Tarim
River Basin
Sources of
Three Rivers
Upper Reach of
Minjiang River
Figure 2. Ecosystem restoration regions
Southwest Karst
processes and their impacts, debris flows,
and landslides. Through intensive work
over three decades, CAS researches have
provided unique scientific solutions, such
as proactive cooling techniques, for maintaining
the stability of the warm and icerich
permafrost roadbed of the Qinghai-Tibet
Railway (Figure 1). Different challenges
are present in dry regions. CAS scientists
have developed theories and principles
for the design, construction, and maintenance
of desert railways and roads affected
by wind action. For example, protection
systems to mitigate sand erosion and
supplementary measures that reduce the
effects of drifting sand have ensured the
smooth operation of the Baotou-Lanzhou
Railway and the Tarim Desert Highway.
Atmospheric Science
Important results have been produced in atmospheric science, focusing
on weather prediction and climate modeling, the interactive 3-D radiativedynamical-chemical-hydrological
structure of the climate system, chemical
atmospheric process, mechanisms and modeling, and the atmospheric
environment.
Example: Climate Numerical Model
Fully coupled climate system models (incorporating atmosphere,
ocean, and land surface), developed and refined by CAS scientists
Heihe
River Basin
IMAR
Loess Plateau
Three-Gorges
Reservoir
Research
since the 1980’s, have been shown by the Coupled Model Inter-comparison
Project to have advantages over other systems in simulating
monsoons. In terms of short-term climate prediction, combined prediction
theories, approaches, and error correction schemes have greatly
improved the accuracy of inter-seasonal predictions; meanwhile, the
physical processes that affect summer climate anomalies, such as the El
Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), have been identified, and the mechanisms
for the interannual climate anomaly and the drought-flood related
monsoon anomaly have been revealed.
Marine science
Marine science is an interdisciplinary field that employs marine biology, marine
geology, marine ecology, and physical oceanography for the study of
the ocean environment. CAS has developed a regional coastal observation
system and outfitted six research vessels for scientists at home and abroad
to carry out annual marine science expeditions.
Example: Marine Physics
Significant achievements have been made in marine physics, including
establishing the axial symmetric theory for the Yellow Sea Cold Water
Mass and uncovering the “Ocean Channel” dynamics of the Indian Ocean
Dipole-forced El Niño-Southern Oscillation. Additionally, CAS scientists
have actively participated in international collaborative projects, such as
the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere program and World Ocean Circulation
Experiment. Meanwhile, they have set up an international research
plan called the Northwestern Pacific Ocean Circulation and Climate Experiment,
through which scientists have discovered important oceanic
phenomena such as the Mindanao Undercurrent, the South China Sea
Warm Current, and the Taiwan Warm Current.
CREDIT: COURTESY OF CAS

CREDIT: COURTESY OF CAS
Research CAS/In Focus
Figure 3. Ecological rehabilitation of hydrofluctuation
belt of Three Gorges Reservoir Area.
Ecology and Regional Agriculture
In this field, research has mainly focused on soil science and ecosystem
processes based on field monitoring networks, ecological restoration, agricultural
geography and regionalization, and regional agricultural technical
trials and transfer.
Example: Ecological Restoration and Demonstration
Significant progress has been made in ecological restoration based on
data from eight ecological restoration experimental regions that have
been set up in fragile and at-risk areas of West China (Figure 2). Advances
have been seen in understanding the mechanisms of restoration for
degraded ecological systems, ecological system restoration modeling,
comprehensive management and regulation of river basins, highly efficient
development and exploration of water resources, and regional economic
development modeling. Related technologies and models have
been applied extensively in the region. The models developed provide
a basis for carrying out more eco-friendly construction and economic
development in West China (Figure 3).
Environmental Science and Technology
Research fields in this area include the study of persistent organic pollutants
(POPs), environmental impact studies and regional environmental
quality assessments, as well as the development of water pollution control
technologies and demonstration projects, soil pollution control technologies
and demonstration projects, air pollution monitoring and control technologies,
and cleaner production technologies and demonstration projects.
Example: Study on Persistent Organic Pollutants
The results from studies on POPs have aroused wide
concerns. Innovative methods for the analysis of dioxins,
polychlorinated biphenyls, and other POPs have recently
been developed and validated, enabling the development
of state-of-the-art techniques for POPs monitoring
in China. Dioxin formation during the production of pdichlorobenzene
has been clarified for the first time. New
mechanisms of action of the toxin pentachlorophenol and
its metabolite, tetrachloro-1,4-benzoquinone (also called
p-chloranil), have been revealed through the discovery of
a new pathway for the formation of the extremely reactive
hydroxyl radical and a novel carbon-centered quinone
ketoxy radical. The emission factor for dioxins during production
of p-dichlorobenzene has been determined and
has been adopted and recommended by the United Nations
Environment Program to estimate dioxin emissions
worldwide. In addition, the emission inventory of dioxins
in China has been established, which provides a scientific
basis to implement the Stockholm Convention on POPs
in China.
Global Climate Change
China was one of the first countries to actively promote establishment
of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program
and several other international research programs on
global climate change. Since the mid 1980s, global climate
change research has been considered a priority by most of
the national funding agencies and has led to fruitful scientific
results, including key data and theories on the causes
of global environmental change.
Example: Study on Global Climate Change
CAS scientists have made important contributions in this area. Data on
terrestrial long-term climate changes that is on a par with marine and
ice-core records has been collected. Scientists have documented a complete
and continuous climate history of the Asian continent on both the
tectonic and orbital timescales. Various climate data, in particular historical
records and a reliable climate time line (at a resolution of years to
decades), show that the 20th century may not in fact be the warmest in
the past 2,000 years. Studies of the lacustrine records from Heqing have
extended the history of the Indian summer monsoon back to 2.6 million
years ago, providing a new understanding of glacial-interglacial Indian
monsoon dynamics.
Outlook
Looking to the future, the research focus will be in the following areas:
deep processes and lithosphere evolution; interactions among multispheres
on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau; models of climate systems,
earth systems, and land surface process integration systems; the origin
of life and evolution; and the ocean environment and ecosystems. At the
same time, to meet the strategic requirements for state economic and
sustainable development, special emphasis will be placed on the restoration
of damaged ecosystems and restoration trials, key metallogenic
theories and exploration technologies, key oil and gas exploration theories
and technologies, comprehensive estimations for water resources
and their efficient utilization, and offshore biological resources and marine
biotechnology.
19

20
CAS/In Focus
CAS undertook
and successfully
completed the
task of payload
development
for a series of
application
satellites for
the study of
meteorology, the
environment, the
ocean, and land
resources.
Research Framework and Progress
in High-Technology R&D
Space Science and Technology
CAS has proposed and is actively engaged
in a series of important space missions,
such as the Chinese Manned Space Engineering
(CMSE) program and the Chinese
Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP). CAS
also undertook and successfully completed
the task of payload development for a series
of application satellites for the study of
meteorology, the environment, the ocean,
and land resources.
As the leading organization for the Space
Utility System of the Chinese Manned Space
Engineering Program, CAS carries out scientific
experiments and related research on
the Tiangong (TG)-1 and Shenzhou (SZ)-8
space platforms. On TG-1, space material
science facilities and space environment
monitors were installed. A colloidal crystal
growth experiment was performed and, for
the first time in China, the image data remotely
transmitted. In the reentry capsule
of SZ-8, 17 space life science experiments
were conducted in a cooperative Sino-German
project, including 10 Chinese, six German,
and one joint experiment. This project
is under the framework of a governmental
agreement between the two countries, to
conduct the space life science experiments
in a German incubator loaded on the SZ-8
spacecraft. The experiments cover studies
on animal, plants, and microbial materials.
In June 2011, Chang’e (CE)-2 completed
its lunar exploration mission. On August 25
of that year, it entered into the Lagrangian
2 point orbit to carry out extended tests
and outer space environment exploration.
On September 15, it sent back the first scientific
data from over 1,720,000 km away.
Two months later, full coverage high quality
moon maps and images with seven-meter
resolution had been generated and validated
by experts. The data quality and image
resolution were of the highest standard
Research
In order to meet the national strategic demands and keep abreast of global advances in science and technology, the
mission of high-technology research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) is to carry out strategic, innovative, and
forward-looking studies, promote breakthroughs in key technologies and integrated innovation, provide systematic solutions,
and consequently make contributions to the development of information technology, space technology, advanced
manufacturing, new materials, and energy-related technologies.
Since the implementation of the Knowledge Innovation Program in 1998, a long-term approach for Development Strategy
Research has been formulated in the field of high technology at CAS. Two guiding plans, the 11th Five-Year Plan
(2006–2010) and the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011–2015), are already in place. Inspired by the Innovation 2020 Program, a
list of Strategic Priority Research Programs such as the Strategic Priority Research Program in Space Science, have been
prioritized and a number of high-technology R&D centers have been established.
and the image quality, data consistency, and data integrity allowed for the
creation of some of the best digital maps of the moon to date. CAS scientists
played integral roles in the mission, including the data retrieval and
processing, very long baseline interferometric navigation, image generation
and analysis, and other landmark scientific achievements.
A series of significant achievements have come out of the space environment
exploration program for the Meridian Project. The Meridian Project,
which was initiated by the National Space Science Center, an institute
within CAS, included 95 observation facilities already in existence. The first
sounding rocket was launched on May 7, 2011. In initial trial operations,
empirical space observation data has been collected and analyzed from
over 3.5 million data points. Preliminary space weather observation data
were also collected, such as an intense disturbance of the ionosphere
detected by the Meridian Project on March 11, 2011 following the Japan
earthquake. The effect of solar storms on the geospace environment above
China has been observed many times, with the most intense magnetic
storm since 2007 observed on August 6, 2011. Space weather forecasts
and real-time warnings based on data from the Meridian Project contributed
to the successful launches of both TG-1 and SZ-8.
Information Technology
Progress has already been made in applied technologies such as All-IP
networks, micro-nano sensors and systems, wireless sensor networks,
broadband wireless mobile multimedia, high performance computing, and
intelligent robots.
China’s first manned 7,000 m submersible, “Jiaolong,” successfully finished
its 5,000 m undersea trial in July 2011. Its maximum depth capacity
of 5,188 m is a record for China-made manned submersibles. As one of
the major developers of the “Jiaolong,” CAS was in charge of the R&D and
technical support of the acoustics and control systems. The function and
performance of the communication sonar out-performs its global peers.
Both seabed topography and side-scan sonar pictures can be obtained using
the high resolution bathymetric side-scan sonar, internationally regarded
as of the highest quality. The control system has sophisticated functionality,
including cruise control, navigation, and the integrated display of information.
The control parameters of the submersible can be adjusted in real time
using dynamic modeling. Accurate dynamic positioning—functionality not
previously seen in manned submersibles of this kind—and automatic long
distance cruising are included (Figure 1).
The Institute of Process Engineering (IPE) has been devoted to the
study of multiscale phenomena for nearly 30 years, with a particular focus
on meso-scales at different levels, namely material, reactor, and system.
A unique stability-constrained meso-scale modeling approach, the
EMMS Paradigm, was developed and gradually refined (1–2), applying the

CREDIT: BY ZHANG AIQUN
Research CAS/In Focus
strategy, “first global, then regional, and finally, detailed.” A petaFLOPS
multiscale supercomputing system, Mole-8.5 (3), was developed, which
will enable a revolutionary technology, Virtual Process Engineering (VPE).
VPE is characterized by real-time and high accuracy simulation of industrial
processes, integrated with on-line comparison to experiments, 3-D interactive
visualization, and systematic control. An early prototype VPE was
constructed recently at IPE, serving as a versatile industrial R&D and training
facility.
The Dawning 6000 High-Productivity Supercomputer (Nebulae), built by
the Institute of Computing Technology (ICT) and Sugon Information Industry
Corporation, was ranked 2nd—with a LINPACK performance score of 1.27
petaFLOPS—in the 35th TOP500 list of supercomputers, released in June
2010.
Broadband wireless communication systems developed by the Shanghai
Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology (SIMIT), the Institute of
Acoustics (IOA), ICT, and the Institute of Microelectronics (IME) played key
roles in May 12, 2008 China earthquake disaster rescues, Tangjiashan barrier
lake solutions, Yushu earthquake rescues, and security at the Shanghai
World Expo.
The proposal for the industrial wireless network technology standard,
Wireless Network for Industrial Automation-Process Automation (WIA-PA),
was approved as an international standard IEC 62601 by the International
Electro-technical Commission (IEC) on October 14, 2011. WIA-PA is an
open and interoperable wireless network standard designed to address
the needs of industrial process measurement and control applications for
reliable, real-time and secure wireless communication, and was developed
by the WIA working group led by the Shenyang Institute of Automation
(SIA) and CAS. As an IEC standard, WIA-PA provides users with a larger
scale and lower cost network framework, more interoperability, and greater
product and service quality.
SIMIT has developed a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer fabrication
Figure 1. Manned submersible “Jiaolong.”
technology. With strong R&D capability and flexible processes, SIMIT can
provide SOI wafers of different specifications or sizes, up to 8 inches. The
key process parameters can be precisely controlled to meet different application
requirements. These SOI wafers have been used in many products
such as automobile integrated circuits (IC), driver IC, microelectromechanical
devices, and optical interconnections.
Energy Science and Technology
Forward-looking plans have been made in the fields of clean coal utilization,
solar energy, energy use reduction, and emission reduction, and progress
has been achieved in coal-based synthetic liquid fuels and coal chemicals.
The Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP), in cooperation with
industry, built the world’s first commercial scale DICP methanol-to-olefins
(DMTO) commercial unit in 2010, which symbolized a milestone in the
production of olefins via a nonpetrochemical pathway. Total coal-based
polyolefin output was over 80 kilotons in 2010. The plant reached 110%
capacity on January 15, 2011 and currently runs steadily at 100% load.
The indirect coal liquefaction technology owned by the Institute of Coal
Chemistry (ICC) has been used in two 160,000 tons per year (TPY) coalbased
synfuel industrialization trial projects, which have demonstrated the
reliability and advantages of this advanced technology. The iron-based
catalyst used exhibited a high space-time yield with over 1.0 g per gram of
catalyst per hour and significantly higher production capacity, generating
1,500–1,800 tons of oil per ton of catalyst. The independent development
of indirect coal liquefaction technology has led the field internationally for
similar technologies. Furthermore, the construction and operation of the
demonstration project has laid a solid technical foundation for large scale
commercial plant construction (Figure 2).
The Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter developed
the technology to convert coal to ethylene glycol (EG) in cooperation with
industry, building the world’s first industrial demonstration unit of 200,000
21

22
CAS/In Focus
Figure 2. 160,000 tons/year coal-based synfuel industrialization demonstration project.
TPY capacity, which was put into operation in 2010 and reached 75% of
its design capacity. China is planning a large scale EG industrial production
unit with capacity of nearly 4,000,000 TPY.
The world’s first superconducting power substation with a voltage level
of 10.5 kV, developed by the Institute of Electrical Engineering, was put into
operation on the power grid of Gansu Province. It is the only distributionlevel
hi-tech superconducting substation in the world.
The world’s largest capacity 650Ah sodium sulfur battery cell with a low
fading rate and a life expectancy of over 10 years was developed by the
Shanghai Institute of Ceramics in cooperation with industry, together with
a series of new materials, interface designs, particular cell structure, and
fabrication processes.
Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials
CAS plays a leading role in the development of metallic materials, ceramic
materials, composite materials, and organic polymer materials. By licensing
neodymium-based polybutadiene rubber (NdBR) technology from the
Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry (CIAC), PetroChina has built an
NdBR production line with a capacity of 35,000 TPY, producing a product
regarded as one of the best in the world. The industrial technology package
for neodymium-based polyisoprene rubber (NdIR) production, which is the
most advanced both in product quality and economy in China, was developed
by CIAC, CAS, and licensed to Shandong Shenchi Chem. Co. Ltd.
An NdIR production line with a capacity of 30,000 TPY will start production
in August 2012, while construction of a new production line with a capacity
of 100,000 TPY is scheduled for the near future. Based on technology
licensed by CIAC and CAS, a 10,000 TPY production line for CO 2 -based
plastics has been built in China, and a 5,000 TPY production line for polylactic
acid has been running smoothly.
The demand for carbon emission reduction prompted industry leaders
to develop more fuel efficient aircraft engines using new light-weight
materials such as titanium aluminide to make turbine blades. In cooperation
with Rolls-Royce, the Institute of Metal Research (IMR) is developing
a near net shape technology for manufacturing such blades which
Research
promises to cut the production cost significantly. The technology is undergoing
a series of tests and, once completed, can be used in updated
versions of engines that power aircrafts such as the Boeing 787 and
Airbus 350.
A novel strengthening approach based on new principles has been developed
for metallic materials by researchers from IMR, which involves
strengthening materials by engineering twin boundaries at the nanometer
scale. By introducing a high density of nano-scale coherent twins in pure
copper, high strength together with high ductility and high electrical conductivity
can be achieved simultaneously (4).
DICP researchers have investigated the F+H 2 reaction and developed
an accurate physical picture of reaction resonances in this important
system in a series of combined empirical and theoretical experiments.
In addition, they have studied the state-to-state non-adiabatic
dynamics of the F/F*+D 2 reaction and observed the breakdown of the
Born-Oppenheimer approximation in this reaction. This research has
had a significant impact by deepening our understanding of chemical
reaction resonances and chemical non-adiabaticity at the quantum
state-to-state level.
Outlook
In the future, further effort will be made in improving key technologies in
space science, new-generation information technology research, and clean
and efficient coal technology. Significant accomplishments are expected to
be achieved in advanced medical equipment, robot technology, and electric
vehicles, in a bid to make contributions to China’s economic development
and social progress.
RefeRences
1. J. Li, Y. Tung, M. Kwauk, Circulating Fluidized Bed Technology II
(Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1988) pp. 89–103.
2. W. Ge et al., Chem. Eng. Sci. 66, 4426 (2011).
3. As of Nov. 2011, Mole-8.5 is listed as the 21st in Top500 (www.top500.
org/lists/2011/11).
4. L. Lu, Y. Shen, X. Chen, L. Qian, K. Lu, Science 304, 422 (2004). CREDIT: COURTESY OF THE INSTITUTE OF COAL CHEMISTRY, CAS

CREDIT: COURTESY OF CAS
Research CAS/In Focus
23
Strategic Priority Research Program
Overview
The Strategic Priority Research Program, a core component of the CAS Innovation 2020 Program, is designed to allow the academy to achieve major
innovative breakthroughs and form advantageous research clusters by making full use of the its competencies in multidisciplinary and institutionalized
research, and integrating various related factors such as research implementation, team organization, and platform building.
The Strategic Priority Research Program is divided into two types of research projects: A and B. Focusing on advanced technologies and key S&T issues
related to public welfare and interests, type A research projects include studies on advanced fission energy; space science; stem cells and regenerative
medicine; carbon budget and relevant climate issues; next generation information technology; key technology and demonstration for clean, efficient and
cascade utilization of low-rank coal; and key technology R&D and application demonstration for deep resources exploration. Type B research projects
target new and cutting-edge research at the forefront of interdisciplinary fields, with the aim of lifting Chinese research to an international level. The program
rewards basic, strategic, and visionary research,
emphasizing originality and a
systematic approach. Through these programs,
the Chinese Academy of Sciences
(CAS) hopes to improve its S&T capacity in
certain fields in order to build up its cluster
research capabilities.
The Strategic Priority Research Program
initiated by the academy fits in well with
other national S&T programs, such as the
National Basic Research Program (“973”
Program) and the National High-Technology
R&D Program (“863” Program). As the
leading national research institution, it is the
academy’s obligation to undertake such a
research program, with the projects being
of a basic, strategic, pilot, and forwardlooking
nature. Moreover, these projects
are vital to dealing with common and key
frontier S&T problems in China’s national Figure 1. An artist’s view of the HXMT satellite.
economic and social development.
Advanced Fission Energy
Facing the two most challenging issues related to the long-term sustainable
development of nuclear energy—the disposal of nuclear wastes and
securing a stable supply of nuclear fuels—CAS launched a strategic priority
research program called the Advanced Fission Energy Program (AFEP) in
January 2011. The program is devoted to exploring the feasibility of thorium-based
fuels and transmutation of long-lived spent nuclear fuel using
an accelerator-driven subcritical system (ADS). The long-term mission of
the program is, by the year 2035, to: (i) construct a Thorium fluoride cooling
reactor with ~1,000 megawatt electrical (MWe) capacity and a thorium
molten reactor with ~100 MWe capacity, and (ii) build an ADS transmutation
pilot facility with a ~1,000 MW thermal (MWt) subcritical core, cooled
by liquid metal and driven by a proton accelerator with beam power of ~10
MW. Making full use of the CAS material research capacity and large-scale
research facilities, and through collaborations with domestic and international
research organizations, this program will seek innovation in advanced
thorium-uranium fuel cycle development, nuclear waste transmutation,
and high-performance material formulation to sustain the development of
nuclear energy.
Contacts: Professor Xu Hushan, hushan@impcas.ac.cn and Professor Xu
Hongjie, xuhongjie@sinap.ac.cn.
Space Science
The Strategic Priority Research Program on space science was initiated in
January 2011, focusing on the properties of black holes, physical laws in
extreme conditions, the nature of dark matter, the kinetic theory of matter
and fundamental laws governing life in space, the influence of the Sun on
Earth space weather, and the analysis of nonlocality of quantum mechanics.
There are seven projects encompassed by this program under the 12th
Five-Year Plan period (2011–2015):
• Hard X-Ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT): This, the first Chinese
space telescope, helps researchers understand the origin of cosmic Xray
background, the statistical properties of supermassive black holes,
and the behavior of physical laws in extreme conditions (Figure 1).
• Quantum Experiments at Space Scale (QUESS): These experiments
test an experimental quantum key distribution for future secure communication
based on high-precision acquiring, tracking, and pointing
systems, and establish an experimental large-scale quantum communication
network. QUESS will also carry out a satellite-to-ground quantum
entanglement distribution and quantum teleportation experiment, testing
the nonlocality of quantum mechanics (Figure 2).

24
CAS/In Focus
Figure 2. Illustration of the Quantum Science Satellite.
• Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE): The explorer will investigate
dark matter particles from deep space by high-resolution observation
of gamma-rays as well as electron spectra and their distribution in
space. It will also help scientists study the motion and acceleration of
cosmic rays in the galaxy by measuring the energy spectra of heavy ions.
• ShiJian-10 (SJ-10): Using recoverable satellite technology, SJ-10 focuses
on the behavior of matter and life activities in space. It will carry
out experiments in microgravity on heat and mass transport in fluid, biospace
adaptation, and mutation and gene expression.
• KUAFU Mission (KUAFU): Named after the legendary Chinese figure
who chases the Sun, the project will help scientists study solar influences
on earth space weather. It consists of three satellites, one located at
L1 (the point at which an object experiences the same gravitational pull
from both the Earth and the Sun, allowing it remaining in the same position
relative to these bodies) and two in polar orbits. It is a cooperative
mission with international collaborations. China will launch one satellite,
KUAFU A, to the L1 point.
• Intensive Study of Future Space Science Missions: Following the
space science strategic plan, this project aims to intensively study new
science missions, taking into account scientific objectives, optimization
of plan implementation, and development of key technologies, in preparation
for implementing the missions during the 13th Five-Year Plan period
(2016–2020).
Research
Stem Cells and Regenerative Both neurodegener-
Medicine
Research on stem cells and regenerative ative disorders and
medicine has flourished in China in the
last decade, despite some hurdles that liver diseases have
have limited their application. An intensive
research program to study stem cells was a major impact on
launched in order to understand the regulatory
mechanisms in these cells, inves- human health.
tigate the potential for stem cell therapy,
and establish standards and ethics for future applications.
Both neurodegenerative disorders and liver diseases have a major impact
on human health. Compared with traditional medical treatments, regenerative
medicine offers a promising approach for therapy. Research into the
developmental origins of nerves and liver tissue will provide a theoretical
basis for the clinical application of stem cells and regenerative medicine.
This program has established a system-wide academic network to support
the research involving more than 80 research groups from four centers of
stem cell and regenerative medicine research located in Beijing, Shanghai,
Guangzhou, and Kunming, as well as 17 other institutes studying life science,
material science, chemistry, and biomechanics.
The basic strategy is to study liver, mesenchyme, and neural stem cells
originating from the three germ layers: the endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm—from
which stem cell differentiation, development, and organ formation
take place—so as to integrate basic theoretical research with new
strategic applications of stem cells and regenerative medicine. Results from
the program will clarify the origin, maintenance, differentiation, and function
of stem cells during normal and pathological development of important
organs. The program also focuses on identifying important targets for stem
cell regulation, exploring drug candidates based on stem cell factors and
functional regulators, and establishing a translational research system for
stem cell technologies. The ultimate goals are to discover the basic mechanisms
underlying stem cell biology; to identify the roles of stem cells in the
origin, formulation, and regeneration of tissues and organs; to develop new
strategies for precisely regulating stem cells; to implement clinical applications
of stem cells in the repair of pathological damage; and to promote the
development of regenerative medicine.
Contact: Professor Zhou Qi, zhouqi@ioz.ac.cn
• Advanced Research of Space Science Missions and Payloads:
This research is intended to advance key technologies for future space
science satellites by supporting a related group of research subjects,
including innovative concepts for future space science missions, key
technologies of payloads, ground calibrations, and short-term flight
CAS; OF
demonstrations.
With the intention of encouraging cooperation in order to stay at the
COURTESY
forefront of discovery, this program is open to the entire science community
TOP)
for cooperation, with opportunities for mission to mission cooperation, payload
piggybacking with foreign partners, ground support, and data sharing.
(FROM
“Tiny,” the mouse developed from induced pluripotent stem cells
through tetraploid complementation.
Contact: Professor Wu Ji, wuji@nssc.ac.cn. CREDIT:
COURTESY OF THE INSTITUTE OF ZOOLOGY, CAS

CREDIT: COURTESY OF CAS
Research CAS/In Focus
Climate Change: Carbon
Budget and Relevant Issues
To confront climate change issues and find an optimized
approach for sustainable development in
China, a program has been put in place that aims
to tackle a series of S&T issues by bringing together
multiple disciplines at CAS. Issues to be addressed
include quantitative verification of the total terrestrial
carbon budget of China, identification of opportunities
for creating/strengthening carbon sinks, developing
the means to create/strengthen these carbon
sinks, and analyzing the relationship between the
increase in greenhouse gases and future global climate
change.
This program is expected to meet the following
goals: (i) to build a system of data resources, scientific
knowledge, and supportive technologies for the
creation of national policy on reducing greenhouse
gases and strengthening carbon sink potential as
well as implementing strategic decision-making
for sustainable development of the nation; (ii) to
significantly improve the quality of domestic research
in fields such as ecological systems and climate change, quantification
and verification of territorial carbon budget, technologies and measures to
strengthen carbon sinks in ecological systems, and managerial policies for
regional carbon budgets as well as to achieve a significant improvement in
S&T development as a basis for addressing climate change and increase
China’s role in the international climate change community; and (iii) to
establish a team of high-level S&T professionals capable of dealing with the
current trend of integration of different disciplines.
This program will set up a total of 15 subprojects to pursue its goals,
falling into five task clusters: greenhouse gas emissions, carbon sequestration
of ecological systems, sensitivity to climate change, impacts of and
responses to climate change, and green development.
Contacts: Professor Liu Yi, liuyi@mail.iap.ac.cn, and Professor Lu Daren,
ludr@mail.iap.ac.cn
By reforming
the existing way
that IT research
is conducted,
technology and
scientific research
can be improved.
Next Generation Sensor
Technology Research in China
A strategic priority research program in
next generation information technology (IT)
research has been established in China
that aims to meet growing demands for a
countrywide network of sensors, including
information sensing equipment, information
transmission, and information processing
equipment. The overarching challenges
to a widely distributed sensor network are
power dissipation, performance, cost, and
security. This program is based on the innovative
concept of fusing humans, computers,
and physical systems into a Human
Computer Physical Network Cloud.
To fully utilize the opportunity of this triple
Figure 3. A new generation of IT-based on systematic,
transformative innovation.
integration, the concept of a so-called Sea-Network-Cloud (a sea of sensors
connected to a transmission network, all linked to a processing cloud)
has been proposed and a test platform built. By reforming the existing
way that IT research is conducted, technology and scientific research can
be improved, while simultaneously establishing a technical foundation for
bringing together technological, infrastructural, and social resources.
This program promotes the real-world evolution from 2-D to 3-D integration
through the fusion of human, computer, and physical systems by
combining Zettabyte (ZB)-level data, Sea-Cloud processing (the collection
and processing of data from the sensors and the deposition of this
data into a central processing center), end-to-end evolved networks with
quality assurance, and sensors collecting data about the physical world.
The program is designed to provide key technical support for the construction
and development of a more intelligent, secure, and serviceoriented
information society. To achieve this goal, a systematic and innovative
new generation IT technology has to be developed, as shown
in Figure 3.
This program will face significant scientific challenges, including: developing
a system architecture for IT technology over the next 20 years
that is designed for efficiency; limitations in the ability to simultaneously
collect and process large amounts of data; the evolution, robustness,
adaptability, and manageability of the future network; providing
easy access to large amounts of complex information from heterogeneous
sources; and developing a secure IT system that balances cost
and efficiency.
CAS has initiated a number of international collaborations around the
Sea-Network-Cloud. This program aims to further international collaboration
on the evolution of IT infrastructure and the development of highperformance
computing as well as high-performance core routers. This will
create a foundation for building out future information and sensor networks,
provide effective access to information, and achieve effective and more
intelligent management of natural resources and maintenance of information
security.
Contacts: Professor Tian Jing, tianjing@iie.ac.cn and Ms. Wang Yuhan,
wangyuhan@iie.ac.cn
25

26
CAS/In Focus
600 kt/year coal-to-olefins plant
Demonstration of Key Technologies for Clean
and Efficient Utilization of Low-Rank Coal
Energy is vital to a country’s future. Since China is rich in coal resources
but has insufficient petroleum or natural gas, coal is integral to the country’s
future. It is expected that coal will remain as the primary energy
source for a considerable time. Among China’s proven coal reserve
(1.02 trillion tons), more than 55% is low-rank coal, of which the volatile
components are equivalent to about 100 billion tons of oil and gas
reserves. Low-rank coal is a less developed grade of coal with a low
degree of coalification, high moisture content, low heating value, and
sometimes also high ash content. Its present utilization, via processes
like direct combustion and gasification, is less efficient, emits more pollutants,
and produces greater carbon dioxide discharge.
In view of the characteristics of low-rank coal, the CAS put forward
a novel concept for the clean and efficient use of this resource:
oil and gas products are first extracted through an efficient pyrolysis
process and the resultant semicokes are then combusted cleanly
or converted to liquid fuels and chemicals via gasification. Research
and development in this area will be focused on: (i) integrated technologies
for producing oil and gas by low temperature pyrolysis of
low-rank coal; (ii) multistage processes for liquefaction of low-rank
coal to produce liquid fuels; (iii) upgrades and improvement in the processing
of oil and gas products from pyrolysis; (iv) clean and efficient
semicoke/coal-fired power generation technology; (v) novel multistage
semicoke/coal gasification technology; (vi) coal-based mass synthesis
of chemicals and fuel; (vii) carbon dioxide capture, storage, conversion,
and utilization; (viii) process simulation and system simulation
integration.
In the next 5 to 10 years, CAS aims
to develop breakthrough technologies
in key areas that enable a comprehensive
utilization scheme for low-rank coal
best suited to China’s coal resource
characteristics and which exhibits high
energy efficiency, low pollution, and low
emissions. This will speed the development
of the next generation of efficient
coal-fired power plants and a supporting
coal chemical industry.
Contact: Professor Wang Jianguo,
jgwang@sxicc.ac.cn
Research
Within the Key Technology R&D and
Demonstration for Deep
next five years, Resources Exploration
Exploring deeply buried resources is one
CAS plans to of the major strategic choices worldwide in
order to guarantee the sustainable develop-
achieve the goal ment of mineral resources and energy. The
Key Technology R&D and Demonstration
of detecting for Deep Resources Exploration Program
was launched to implement the following
minerals at a through CAS: (i) study and develop four
kinds of geophysical technologies: electri-
depth of up to cal, magnetic, seismic, and gravity prospecting—enabling
accurate assessment of
2,000 m, using hidden or deeply buried resources based
on the technical requirements of optimiza-
locally developed tion, mapping, and detailed exploration of
target areas; (ii) develop technologies, for
equipment. high-sensitivity sensing, data transmission,
system integration, and survey equipment
platform construction; and (iii) research
into geological structures, mineralization, and deposit distribution in order
to determine the mechanisms of regional mineral formation and establish
the optimal pattern for mineral exploration in typical target areas
in the three regions of China holding large mineral deposits. CAS will also
carry out field tests on reliability, consistency, and practicality of the technology
and equipment being used. Through strong cooperation with domestic
and foreign research institutions in related research fields, CAS will
conduct a special program that takes advantage of sophisticated studies
in the areas of geology, geophysics, and electronics technology and
equipment development. Within the next five years, CAS plans to achieve
the goal of detecting minerals at a depth of up to 2,000 m, using locally
developed equipment. Further, CAS expects to extend this capability to
3,000 m within the next 10 years, so as to provide strong technical support
for the national resource security and global economic strategies
Contacts: Professor Di Qingyun, qydi@mail.iggcas.ac.cn and Professor
Zhu Rixiang, rxzhu@mail.iggcas.ac.cn
Diagram showing scientific resources and key technologies
for the exploration of deep resources.
CREDIT: COURTESY OF CAS

CREDIT: PHOTOS BY RICKY WONG
Editorial News Report:
Major Research Programs and Platforms
Among its diverse activities, the one that distinguishes the
Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) from other research organizations
in China is its record of initiating and managing
successful, large-scale scientific endeavors. “CAS has the advantage
in designing and building these kinds of facilities, because we have
a long history of designing and building very similar facilities in the past,”
explains Kuang Guangli, director of CAS’s High Magnetic Field Laboratory
in Hefei. “It is very hard for people outside of CAS to do similar work,” because
other institutions in China lack this experience, he says.
Lü Yonglong, director-general of CAS’s Bureau of International Cooperation,
agrees. “CAS has taken the leadership role in developing the big science
facilities in China,” he says, adding that 90% of such facilities are
initiated, managed, and run by CAS. Lü traces big science in China back to
the first Beijing Electron-Positron Collider (BEPC), a joint China-U.S. effort
that went online in 1988. The upgraded BEPC is still used in cutting-edge
research by Chinese and international scientists, alongside the newer and
larger facilities such as the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, the
High Magnetic Field Laboratory, and the Experimental Advanced Superconducting
Tokamak.
Big science at CAS also encompasses projects that involve ambitious
spans of space, time, and research disciplines. Ongoing projects in this
vein include the Center for Earth Observation and Digital Earth, the Chinese
Ecological Research Network, and the Third Pole Environment program.
Some of CAS’s big-science programs are detailed below.
Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility
The Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF), China’s largest-ever
scientific project, is a joint initiative of the central government, CAS, and the
Shanghai municipal government. As a third-generation synchrotron radiation
facility, its purpose is to generate extremely bright X-rays that can be
used in research in fields as varied as structural biology, chemical catalysis,
materials science, environmental science, and medicine. “Without worldclass
facilities, we cannot do world-class science,” says SSRF Director
Zhao Zhentang. But he believes the Shanghai municipal government initiated
the project in order to help reach additional goals such as developing
cutting-edge technology and stimulating economic growth. “When the local
government has the capability, this kind of project is very attractive for
building a high standard of science and technology in the city” because it
brings young, talented workers to the area, he says. “It is very beneficial
Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility at the Shanghai
Institute of Applied Physics
to pharmaceutical research and development
in this region. And it can also drive
local industries, such as manufacturers of
magnets, vacuum components, electronics,
and other high-quality components.”
The SSRF consists of a full energy electron
injector, a storage ring, and beamlines. The
injector accelerates electrons to 3.5 giga
electron volts, then shoots them into the
432 m storage ring. There, special magnets
induce the high-energy electrons to change
direction. In the process, they lose energy
in the form of synchrotron radiation, which
goes into the beamlines, where it is used
for experiments. Researchers all over China
can apply through a peer-reviewed process
for time on the beamlines, Zhao says. He
also notes that since its opening in 2009,
the facility has accommodated more than
3,600 users from over 200 universities
and institutes. “The most popular fields
of research are structural biology and
materials science, both of which use the
SSRF’s powerful light beams to obtain
atomic-resolution structures of substances
of interest, whether proteins or catalytic
elements.”
High Magnetic Field
Laboratory
Construction on the CAS
High Magnetic Field Laboratory
(CHMFL), part of the
Hefei Institutes of Physical
Science, began in 2008,
but some of its magnets
are already up and running.
The laboratory will soon
have four water-cooled and
Zhao Zhentang
Kuang Guangli
“CAS has
taken the
leadership role
in developing
the big science
facilities in
China.”
27

28
Li Jiangang
“As a result
of the past 30
years’ effort,
we have taken
the leading role
among steady-
state, long-pulse
tokamak facilities
in the world.”
Wang Chen
one hybrid magnets, says CHMFL Director
Kuang, and its aim is to generate a 40-tesla
steady-state magnetic field. Already, Kuang
says, the facility is unique in China, and access
to it is vital for researchers working at
the cutting edge of materials science, bioscience,
chemistry, and condensed matter
physics. Like the SSRF, the facility is open
to users from other institutions who submit
compelling proposals; the CHMFL also has
an in-house team of more than 50 scientists
who study physics, bioscience, and medicine.
Last year, research at the laboratory
generated over 80 peer-reviewed publications.
In addition to its scientific research mission,
the CHMFL also serves as a test bed
for new semiconductor, superconductor,
and materials technology, Kuang says.
Techniques developed there have already
been applied to other large-scale scientific
projects, such as the SSRF.
Experimental Advanced
Superconducting Tokamak
The Experimental Advanced Superconducting
Tokamak (EAST) is a step toward
an extraordinarily ambitious goal: solving
the world’s energy problems. That solution,
says Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) Director
Li Jiangang, would come from nuclear
fusion, a potentially inexhaustible energy
source that would be safe and pollutionfree.
But to be viable, he explains, fusion
plants would need to withstand temperatures
in the hundreds of millions of degrees
as well as high-energy neutron bombardment—feats
that are well beyond the limits
of today’s materials. The purpose of EAST,
which went online in 2006, is to push those
limits, developing components and techniques
that can be used in the ITER fusion
reactor, an international research project
scheduled to begin operations in France in 2019. Li estimates that commercially
viable fusion power may still be 50 years off.
For the IPP, which, like the CHMFL, is part of the Hefei Institutes of Physical
Science, EAST represents the latest generation in a string of experimental
tokamak (that is, high-temperature plasma-based) fusion devices
going back several decades. “As a result of the past 30 years’ effort, we
have taken the leading role among steady-state, long-pulse tokamak facilities
in the world,” Li says. This has been possible because China’s growing
energy consumption means it needs fusion more urgently than any other
country, he explains, adding, “Also, Chinese leaders take the long view.
Fifty years in China is nothing.”
National Center for Nanoscience and Technology
Rather than exploring frontiers at extreme energies or high magnetic fields,
the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST) in Beijing is
looking to disciplinary boundaries for new discoveries. “Our mission is to
create interdisciplinary collaborations, and also serve as a platform for technology
transfer from basic to applied, as well as for translational research
in nanoscience,” says NCNST Director Wang Chen. Founded in 2003 as
a joint venture of CAS and two top Chinese universities, Peking University
and Tsinghua University, NCNST invites both domestic and international
scientists to use its facilities to conduct research with colleagues from other
disciplines and institutions. It also has its own researchers, who have backgrounds
ranging from biochemistry to physical chemistry to condensed
matter physics.
NCNST facilities include various specialized laboratories for developing
and testing nanomaterials; it also manages a database and publishes an
SCI-indexed journal, Nanoscale. Wang says the center is succeeding so
far in nurturing interdisciplinary collaborations, and is also working with
companies on technology transfer. The furthest advanced of these collaborations,
with the State Grid Corporation of China, has put an NCNSTdeveloped
nanocoating on the company’s power lines that prevents ice
formation and sparking.
Center for Earth Observation and Digital Earth
At the headquarters of the Center for Earth Observation and Digital Earth
(CEODE), visitors won’t find any gleaming, expensive scientific instruments.
Instead, what’s on display is the Earth itself. This is appropriate, since CE-
ODE’s major mission is to gather vast stores of high-quality data on our
planet and make it available for research. The Center was born from a consolidation
of three more specialized CAS units in 2007, and appropriately, it
integrates a range of methods to fulfill its mission. It manages two satellites
and three satellite receiving stations, operates four remote-sensing aircraft,
and is developing new software for image processing and databases to
store information and make it available. The three satellite receiving stations
collect data on all of China and much of Asia, and research within the institute
covers questions such as the impact of climate change on the country’s
land, atmosphere, and water, and monitoring of natural disaster areas
and subsequent recovery, says CEODE Director-General Guo Huadong.
But, in keeping with its name, CEODE’s work does not stop at China’s
borders. The aim of the Digital Earth project, of which it is a key part, is
to compile remote sensing data from around the planet onto a platform
that will enable researchers everywhere to make sense of the information
and perform simulations. The first International Symposium on Digital Earth
was held in Beijing in 1999, and international interest in the idea has only
grown since then. In 2009, the sixth symposium, also held in Beijing, drew
participants from more than 40 countries. CEODE’s headquarters house
offices of six international organizations, including the International Society
CREDIT: PHOTOS BY RICKY WONG

CREDIT: PHOTOS BY RICKY WONG
High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Hefei.
for Digital Earth, UNESCO’s International Centre on Space Technologies
for Natural and Cultural Heritage, and the Integrated Research on Disaster
Risk program.
Chinese Ecosystem Research Network
The Chinese Ecosystem Research Network (CERN), founded in 1988, is a
terrestrial version of CEODE, collecting and processing data from ecological
stations across the country. One of the oldest long-term ecological research
networks in the world and a key member of International Long-term
Ecological Research Network, it now comprises 42 field stations covering
every type of ecosystem in China, five disciplinary sub-centers, and one
synthesis center, says Yu Guirui, who directs the synthesis center. Its mission
is three-fold: Long-term monitoring of 280 ecological indicators in the
atmosphere, soil, water, flora, and fauna at field station sites; research on
the structures, functions, and dynamics of China’s major ecosystems; and
outreach, or demonstration, to disseminate best practices in ecosystem
management to farmers and others.
The 42 field stations belong to different institutes within CAS, Yu explains,
so one important task of the synthesis center has been to standardize data
collection processes and integrate information from various sources. The
data can then be shared with other researchers and the public and used
by CERN scientists to develop scientific publications, reports, and policy
recommendations. The major research areas for the network have changed
with available technologies and the needs of the country; hot topics at
present include the structures, functions, and services of ecosystems;
ecosystem cycle and carbon budget assessment; ecosystem responses
to climate change and adaptation; and biodiversity features and maintenance.
One 10-year-old project within CERN, ChinaFLUX, focuses on the
movement over time of carbon dioxide, water vapor, and energy between
terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere. Both ChinaFLUX and CERN as
a whole have close ties with other national and international networks that
carry out ecological monitoring.
Third Pole Environment
The Plateau and its surrounding mountains sit astride a dozen countries
and together hold more than 100,000 km 2 of glaciers. More than one billion
people rely on water from its ice and snowmelt, which fuels rivers such as
the Indus and the Yangtze. The area appears to be responding particularly
acutely to global climate change, and it in turn exerts a far-reaching effect
on climate through its effects on the Asian Monsoon and the Westerlies that
blow in from Europe. Yet compared with those other large expanses of ice
and snow, the North and South Poles, little research has been done on the
Tibetan Plateau region, which is why in 2009 researchers from 15 countries
Yu Guirui
Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research
gathered to launch a new program, the
Third Pole Environment (TPE).
The program was initiated by the CAS Institute
of Tibetan Plateau Research, which
saw that in order to truly understand conditions
on the third pole, a trans-national
network of field stations would be needed.
Today, says institute Director Yao Tandong,
“We have more than 20 stations, but that’s
still not enough.” Researchers use the stations
to collect data on processes ranging
from geological uplift to changes in the
mass balance of glaciers to wind speed,
and use it to answer an array of questions
about the TPE. “Among all these studies,
we think water problems are the key,” says
Yao, since “water processes will also influence
ecosystems, soil systems, and human
activities.”
Museums and Botanical Gardens
CAS’s many museums and botanical gardens
are multipurpose facilities that house
collections, enable taxonomy and other
basic research, and serve as a platform for
science education. The 13 CAS botanical
gardens, scattered all over mainland China,
contain thousands of plant species, while
its 18 museums showcase everything from
dinosaurs to marine biota to insects. The
latter includes Asia’s largest herbarium, the
Institute of Botany’s National Herbarium,
which dates back to 1929 and boasts more
than 2.6 million specimens.
“Among all
these studies,
we think water
problems are
the key. Water
processes will
also influence
ecosystems,
soil systems,
and human
activities.”
Editorial News Report
29

30 CAS/In Focus
Research
A number of
fundamental
research
achievements
have come
out of the HIRFL
accelerator
complex,
including the
first direct mass
measurements
of short-lived
nuclides.
Research Facilities and Platforms
“Big Science” Facilities of CAS
Overview
The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) is the organization that undertakes the majority of the construction and operation
of China’s “big science” facilities. At present, 12 large facilities are in operation, 11 are under construction, and one is
to be built (Table 1).
Beijing Electron Positron
Collider
The Beijing Electron Positron Collider
project carried out an electron-positron collision
for the first time in October 1988. The
project includes the collider (BEPC), the
Beijing Spectrometer (BES), and the Beijing
Synchrotron Radiation Facility (BSRF).
Since its first run in 1989, its many fruitful
and influential achievements include the
precise measurement of τ mass and hadron
cross section (R value) of 2–5 GeV, the
finding of a new resonance lying in “protonantiproton”
mass threshold, and the finding
of a new particle of X(1835).
In 2009, the collider was upgraded (it is
now called BEPCII) and in 2011 the peak
collision luminosity set a new record of
6.49×10 32 cm -2 s -1 , 65 times the peak value
of BEPC with equal energy, while the
maximum daily integral luminosity reached
29.35 pb -1 , more than 80 times the maximum
historical value of BEPC.
BEPCII is one machine with two purposes:
it is used both for high energy physics
and as a synchrotron radiation facility. The
research at BESIII is predominantly in charm
physics, where advances in identification
and characterization of the multiquark
state, as well as the glue-ball and mixed
state, are expected in the future, securing
China’s position as an important player in
international high-energy physics and in
charm physics experimental research. The
BESIII collaboration consists of 30 Chinese
institutes, 11 European institutes, five U.S.
institutes, and three other Asian institutes.
BSRF is also used as a synchrotron radiation
light source to provide light from vacuum
ultraviolet to extremely rigid X-ray, in
order to carry out applied research in interdisciplinary
fields such as condensed matter
physics, material science, biomedicine,
environmental science, land and mineral
resources, and microprocessing technology.
Fourteen beams and corresponding
experiment stations are open to users
Bird’s eye view of the Beijing Electron Positron Collider.
Table 1. “Big Science” Facilities in China
In Operation Under Construction To Be Built
Beijing Electron Positron
Collider (BEPCII) (major
upgrade in progress)
Meridian Space Weather
Monitoring Project
(Meridian Project)
Soft X-Ray Free Electron
Laser Test Facility (SXFEL)
Heavy Ion Research Facility
in Lanzhou (HIRFL)
Large Sky Area Multi-
Object Fiber Spectroscopic
Telescope (LAMOST) or
Guoshoujing Telescope
Hefei Synchrotron
Radiation Facility
Experimental Advanced
Superconducting Tokamak
(EAST)
Remote Sensing Aircraft
China Remote Sensing
Satellite Ground Station
BPL and BPM Time
Service Systems
ShenGuang-II Laser Facility
Germplasm Bank of Wild
Species in Southwest
China
Shanghai Synchrotron
Radiation Facility (SSRF)
“Shiyan 1” Research Vessel
Five-Hundred Meter
Aperture Spherical Radio
Telescope (FAST)
Steady High Magnetic
Field Facility (partially
operational)
National Earth Observation
Satellite Data Receiving
Networks
Multi-Purpose Marine
Research Vessel (MORV)
Wuhan Biological Safety
Laboratory
Chinese Aeronautic
Remote Sensing System
(CARSS)
National Facility for Protein
Science in Shanghai
China Spallation Neutron
Source (CSNS)
Auxiliary Heating System
for EAST
Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino
Experiment
in China and abroad. Six of them concurrently provide the synchrotron
radiation light.
Contact: Professor Zhao Jingwei, zhaojw@ihep.ac.cn
CREDIT: COURTESY OF THE INSTITUTE OF HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS, CAS

CREDITS: (FROM TOP) COURTESY OF THE INSTITUTE OF MODERN PHYSICS, CAS;
COURTESY OF THE INSTITUTE OF PLASMA PHYSICS, CAS
Research CAS/In Focus
The Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou.
Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou
The Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou (HIRFL) comprises of
the superconducting ECR ion source, the 1.7 m Sector Focused
Cyclotron (SFC, K=69), the large Sector-Separated Cyclotron (SSC,
K=450), the Cooler-Storage Main Ring (CSRm) and the Cooler-
Storage Experimental Ring (CSRe) of the newly built Cooler-Storage
Ring (CSR), and the radioactive ion beam lines (RIBLL1 and RIBLL2)
and experimental terminals. It is capable of providing ion beams from
protons to uranium with energies of up to 2,800 MeV/u and 1,000
MeV/u for protons and heavy ions, respectively. The studies in heavy
ion physics and its related disciplines being carried out at HIRFL include
fundamental research on heavy ion nuclear physics, radioactive ion
beam physics, nuclear astrophysics, high energy density physics,
highly charged atomic physics, hadronic physics, and experimental
research in aerospace science and technology, materials science, and
biomedicine.
A number of fundamental research achievements have come out of the
HIRFL accelerator complex, including the first direct mass measurements
of short-lived nuclides, which provides the key to understanding the rapid
proton capture process (rp process), one of the nuclear reactions that
may be responsible for heavy element formation in the universe. Relative
mass precision up to 10 -6 has been reached. In applied research, clinical
trials for tumor therapy, which began in 2006, have successfully treated
103 shallow-seated and 73 deep-seated
tumor patients.
The National Laboratory for the Heavy
Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou (NHIRFL)
was established in 1991. NHIRFL has
provided advanced experimental conditions
to over 160 users both in China and
abroad, and has set up cooperative relationship
with 40 well-known universities,
research institutions, and high-technology
enterprises.
Contact: Professor Liang Qiang,
liangqiang@impcas.ac.cn
Experimental Advanced
Superconducting Tokamak
Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak
(EAST) was designed based on the latest
tokamak achievements of the past century.
Its mission is to conduct cutting-edge physics
and engineering research on advanced tokamak
fusion reactors. This will provide a scientific
base for experimental reactor design and
construction, and promote the advancement
of plasma physics and related disciplines and
technologies. It has three distinct features: a
noncircular cross-section, fully superconducting
magnets, and fully actively water cooled
plasma facing components (PFCs) which will be
beneficial for exploring advanced steady-state
plasma operation modes. Experience from the
construction of, and research at, EAST will provide a foundation for the
construction of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project
(ITER).
Aiming at long pulse plasma discharges, a series of experimental techniques
have been developed or improved on EAST in recent years, such as
ion cyclotron heating, plasma diagnostics and control, and lithium wall conditioning.
Additionally, the effective heating and current drive were realized
under a variety of plasma configurations, and the divertor operation was explored
in the steady-state mode. Extensive international cooperation focusing
on EAST shows that this project has become one of the most important
physical experiment platforms for high-parameters long-pulse plasma.
At present, EAST also provides machine time to researchers outside the
Institute of Plasma Physics for different research purposes. Long-standing
cooperative projects include: radio frequency heating research by the
National Institute of Fusion Science (NIFS, Japan) and the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT, United States); electron cyclotron emission,
charge compound, and exchange spectrum research by the Fusion Research
Center at Texas University (FRC, United States); balance control and
advanced tokamak operation mode by the General Atomics (GA, United
States). In the last EAST experiment campaign, over 100 foreign scientists
participated in the experiment.
Contact: Professor Dong Shaohua, shdong@ipp.ac.cn
The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST)
31

32
CAS/In Focus
A view of the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility campus.
SSRF Phase-I Beamlines
BL08U1-A: Soft X-Ray Spectromicroscopy Beamline
BL13W1: X-Ray Imaging and Biomedical Applications Beamline
BL14W1: XAFS Beamline
BL14B1: Diffraction Beamline
BL15U1: Hard X-Ray Micro-Focusing Beamline
BL16B1: Small Angle X-Ray Scattering Beamline
BL17U1: Macromolecular Crystallography Beamline
Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility
The Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility (SSRF) is a third-generation
medium-energy light source. It consists of a 150 MeV electron linac, a
full-energy booster, a 3.5 GeV electron storage ring, and seven Phase-I
beamlines and experimental stations (see table above). The SSRF storage
ring, consisting of 20 lattice cells, is designed to run at a beam current
of 200~300 mA in beam emittance of 3.9 nm.rad. It can provide a very
bright light beam in both the soft X-ray and hard X-ray regions, ranging
from 0.1 keV to 40 keV, and a maximum brilliance of 10 20 photons/s/mm 2 /
mrad 2 /0.1%BW can be produced using advanced insertion devices.
Since May 2009, SSRF has provided 4,000 to 4,500 hours of beam
time annually, with a beam availability of 95.7% and 97.6% in 2010 and
2011, respectively. To date it has accepted 2,171 research proposals and
received 3,780 individual users, with 9,710 user visits from 235 institutions.
Over 400 papers have been published using SSRF
data, including 12 papers in Nature, Science, and Cell,
and 89 papers in other high-impact journals. SSRF
has become a very important experimental platform
in China for studies in structural biology, chemical
and environmental sciences, condensed matter
physics, materials science, nanosciences, biomedical
applications, and many other multidisciplinary fields.
However, the existing beam lines at SSRF are far from
meeting users’ demands. New beam lines are currently
under construction with further lines proposed in the
future. In addition, a soft X-ray free-electron laser
facility will be built on the campus adjacent to SSRF.
So far, SSRF has signed collaboration agreements
with nearly 20 synchrotron radiation laboratories
around the world, and is interested in strengthening
further international cooperation involving both the
synchrotron radiation facility and its application.
Contact: Dr. Hou Zhengchi, houzhengchi@
sinap.ac.cn
The Guoshoujing Telescope during winter.
Aperture of
primary mirror
Aperture of
reflecting corrector
Main Characteristics of LAMOST
Effective aperture in
diameter
Research
Guoshoujing Telescope
The Guoshoujing Telescope, or Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic
Telescope (LAMOST), is a quasi-meridian reflecting Schmidt telescope
located in the Xinglong Station, a National Research Facility open to
the astronomical community and operated by the National Astronomical
Observatories of China (NAOC).
Its optical system consists of a reflecting Schmidt corrector, Ma, at the
northern end, a spherical primary mirror, Mb, at the southern end, and a
focal plane in between. Mb has a size of 6.67 m x 6.05 m, which consists of
37 hexagonal spherical sub-mirrors, each with a diagonal diameter of 1.1 m
and a thickness of 75 mm. Ma is 5.72 m x 4.40 m and consists of 24 hexagonal
plane sub-mirrors with a diagonal diameter of 1.1 m and a thickness
of 25 mm. The 4 m focal plane accommodates up to 4,000 fibers, which
collects light from distant and faint celestial objects, allowing several tens of
thousands of spectra per night to be achieved. This is the highest spectrum
acquisition rate in the world and will be a useful tool for studying the largescale
structure of the universe, the structure and evolution of the Milky Way,
and the cross-identification of multiwaveband surveys of celestial objects.
Observation plans for the first pilot project were designed in 2011
with the help of scientists in the Center for Operation and Development
of LAMOST. The pilot survey began on October 23, 2011, and
by the end of 2011, 230,000 spectra across 117 observation areas
were released.
Contact: Dr. Wang Dan, dwang@nao.cas.cn
Field of view Focal plane
6.67 m x 6.05 m 5.72 m x 4.40 m f3.6 m-4.9 m f 5° f 1.75 m
Focal length Number of fibers Spectral ranges
Spectral
resolution
20 m 4,000 370~900 nm 1,800
Sky coverage
Declination
-10°~ +90°
CREDITS: (FROM TOP) BY HU WEICHENG, THE SHANGHAI INSTITUTE OF APPLIED PHYSICS, CAS;
COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATORIES, CAS

CREDITS: (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP) COURTESY OF THE SHANGHAI INSTITUTE OF OPTICS AND FINE MECHANICS, CAS;
BY LI LIANYI; THE DAYA BAY COLLABORATION
Research CAS/In Focus
ShenGuang-II upgrade device. Stored seeds at the Germplasm Bank of Wild Species.
• Operation ability: 500 fires per year
• Operation time: >2,100 hours/year (

34
CAS/In Focus
The “Shiyan 1” research vessel.
Performance of the Expedition Vessel
Maximum
capacity
(people)
Maximum fuel
capacity (tons)
Drinking water
(tons)
“Shiyan 1” Research Vessel
“Shiyan 1” is the first research vessel in service that could be considered
as a large-scale CCS classification SWATH catamaran research vessel.
It is equipped with an AC variable frequency electric propulsion system,
with advanced features like whole-vessel noise and vibration reduction,
whole vessel automation, and dynamic positioning, amongst others. These
features are intended to meet the multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary
research needs for ocean water acoustics, physical oceanography, marine
geology, marine biology, marine chemistry, and marine and atmospheric
environmental studies. It can support a wide range of large-scale
observation networks which include layout, observation, control, remote
sensing, and surveillance tasks. It can also carry out research using a
real-time 3-D marine environment monitoring system and comprehensive
information system. It is the most professional and ideal platform for
acoustic disciplines and multidisciplinary marine experimentation.
Contact: Dr. Lian Shumin,
smlian@scsio.ac.cn
Scientific Plant Conservation
in CAS Botanical Gardens
72
290
100
Endurance
(miles)
Holding force
(days)
Working speed
(section)
8,000
The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) system of botanical gardens
consists of 13 gardens whose locations represent the breadth of China’s
geography and flora. The Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, for
example, represents the Yunnan-Myanmar-Thailand region of the Malesian
subkingdom, while the Kunming Botanical Garden epitomizes the Yunnan
Plateau region of the Sino-Himalayan forest subkingdom. The North China
region of the Sino-Japanese Forest subkingdom is encapsulated by the
Beijing Botanical Garden, and the Turpan Desert Botanical Garden provides
a glimpse into the Songaria region of the Central Asiatic Desert subkingdom.
From its early days, CAS has considered the establishment and maintenance
of botanical gardens as an important strategy for the conservation,
40
1.5–15
Research
Meridian Space Weather Monitoring Project
This project deploys continent-scale, ground-based arrays of geomagnetic
field, radio, optical, and sounding rocket instrumentation along the 120° E
longitude meridian, and several other stations distributed along the 30° N
latitude line, to monitor the solar-terrestrial coupling and its influence on the
planetary environment.
It can continuously monitor the magnetic field, electric field, density, temperature,
particle composition, and other space environment parameters
from the surface of the Earth into the upper atmosphere, ionosphere, and
magnetosphere, and further out into interplanetary space, more than a
dozen times the radius of the earth.
Based on this project, the International Meridian Circle Program was initiated.
Contact: Dr. Yang Guotao, gtyang@spaceweather.ac.cn
Observatory distribution of the Meridian Project.
utilization, and sustainable development of China’s plant diversity.
With an emphasis on scientific conservation, the CAS botanical gardens
play leading and essential roles in developing China’s broader network
of botanical gardens. The CAS botanical gardens have successfully
collected and maintained over 21,000 species of native plants in their living
collections, which form a conservation network covering 60% of the plant
species on the Chinese mainland. The collections have been established
based on plant ex-situ conservation principles and often include field
records and ongoing phenologic observations, providing a solid basis for
subsequent scientific research. In recent years, CAS botanical gardens
have made significant achievements in research areas such as ecology,
coevolution, pollination biology, seed biology, and ex-situ conservation,
enabling some of the gardens to approach international standards. The CAS
botanical gardens have also conducted active outreach work in regional in
CREDITS: (FROM TOP) COURTESY OF THE SOUTH CHINA SEA INSTITUTE OF OCEANOLOGY, CAS;
COURTESY OF THE CENTER FOR SPACE SCIENCE AND APPLIED RESEARCH, CAS

CREDITS: COURTESY OF CAS
Research CAS/In Focus
situ biodiversity conservation, working cooperatively with international
and local agencies. The scientific plant conservation strategies used
in the CAS botanical gardens play an important supporting role in
industrialization of crops, medicines, flowers, and fruits. At the same
time, scientific knowledge generated from botanical research projects
has been distributed widely to the general public through a series of
intensive environmental educational programs.
Looking forward to future developments in the CAS botanical gardens,
plant diversity conservation will continue to be enhanced, collections will
expand to cover more native plant species, and systematic evaluation
of germplasms will be conducted. Research facilities and capacity will
also be continually strengthened to meet the needs of national strategic
requirements for plant resources. Moreover, the CAS botanical gardens
will play a catalytic role within China’s botanical garden system by promoting
networking, training, and personnel exchange among botanical
gardens in China.
Contact: Dr. Miao Haixia, hxmiao@cashq.ac.cn
Chinese Ecosystem
Research Network
The Chinese Ecosystem Research Network (CERN) was founded by
the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1988. It consists of a Synthesis
Field station distribution map of CERN.
Aks Akesu
Als Ailaoshan
As Ansai
BjF Beijing F
BjU Beijing University
Bn Banna
Cbs Changbaishan
Cl Cele
Cs Changshu
Cw Changwu
Dh Donghu
Dhs Dinghushan
Dth Dongtinghu
Dyw Dayawan
Erds Erdos
Fk Fukang
Fq Fengqiu
Ggs Gonggashan
Hb Haibei
Hj Huanjiang
Hl Hailun
Hs Heshan
Ht Huitong
Jzw Jiaozhouwan
Lc Luancheng
Ls Lasa
Lz Linze
Mx Maoxian
Nm Naiman
Nmg Neimenggu
Pyh Poyanghu
Qyz Qianyanzhou
Sj Sanjiang
Scientific botanical gardens overseen by CAS.
Research Center, five disciplinary sub-centers on water, soil, atmosphere,
biology, and aquatic systems as well as 42 field stations covering nine
major ecosystems in China: cropland, forest,
grassland, desert, marsh, lake, bay, Karst, and
urban ecosystems.
The core tasks of CERN are defined to be
long-term ecosystem monitoring, research, and
carrying out ecological trials. It is responsible
for monitoring the long-term changes of various
ecosystems in most areas in China, studying ecosystem
structure, function, pattern, and process,
and conducting trials on optimizing ecosystem
management. It focuses on six core areas: ecosystem
biogenic elements and water cycle process;
response and adaptation of ecosystems to
global climate change; biodiversity conservation
and the use of biological resources; ecosystem
restoration and sustainability; impacts of human
activities on ecosystem structure and function;
and application of ecological monitoring, modeling,
and eco-informatics.
During more than two decades of development,
CERN has grown to be one of the
world’s leading networks on ecosystem monitoring
and research, providing scientific data on
a long-term and systematic basis for informed
Snj Shennongjia
Spt Shapotou
Sy Sanya
Sy Shenyang
Th Taihu
Ty Taoyuan
Yc Yucheng
Ytan Yingtan
decision-making on eco-environmental protection,
wise use of resources, sustainable development,
and to address global climate change
in China.
Contact: Dr. Zhuang Xuliang,
xlzhuang@cashq.ac.cn
35

36
CAS/In Focus
Wu Fuyuan Yuan Yaxiang
Yang Xueming
“For CAS
institutes and
universities,
returnees like
Yang represent
a young,
energetic talent
pool with strong
credentials.”
Zhou Zhonghe
Editorial News Report:
Attracting Top Talent
A
key factor in the revitalization
of Chinese Academy of Sciences
(CAS) research under
the Knowledge Innovation
Program, or KIP was the push to recruit
internationally competitive talent to CAS
institutes (see page 43). “There are a few
factors that are very important in doing science;
the most important is the talent,” says
Yang Xueming, director of the State Key
Laboratory of Molecular Reaction Dynamics
at the Dalian Institute of Physics. Yang
himself earned his Ph.D. at the University
of California, Santa Barbara and worked at
institutions in the United States and Taiwan
before returning to the mainland in 2001.
There he designs and builds instruments to
investigate chemical reactions, particularly
those that occur on the surfaces of materials
or in the gas phase.
For CAS institutes and universities, returnees
like Yang (known as haigui, or sea
turtles) represent a young, energetic talent
pool with strong credentials. With their
foreign language skills and international
networks, they have been a major driver in
opening up China’s research by publishing
in international journals and forging collaborations
with colleagues overseas. “We are
trying to create an international atmosphere
for doing research” and ensure that China’s
researchers are internationally competitive,
says Lü Yonglong, director-general of
the Bureau of International Cooperation at
CAS.
The emphasis on recruitment is also an
effort to make up for lost time. Higher education
and most research activities stopped
Zhou Qi
Talent and Education
for a decade during the Cultural Revolution, and in the '80s and '90s, the
overwhelming majority of China’s top graduates in science went abroad,
never to return. As Zhou Zhonghe, director of the Institute of Vertebrate
Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) in Beijing, says, “Why would
they come back? The salaries were miserable.”
Recruitment Programs
CAS’s ability to attract young, foreign-trained scientists comes in part from
special talent-recruitment programs aimed at this cohort. One of the earliest
of these, the Hundred Talents Program, started in 1994 with the aim of
recruiting hundreds of outstanding new hires domestically and abroad by
the end of the century. Applicants who passed the competitive selection
process received generous startup funding for their laboratories and other
benefits. The program continues today; it now provides eligible new hires
with nearly half a million U.S. dollars in startup funds for their first three
years of research. More than 2,000 researchers have benefited from the
program so far, most of whom have overseas experience.
One of them, Wu Fuyuan, spent a year as a visiting scholar at the University
of Rennes 1 in France, and later left a faculty position in Shandong
Province’s Jining University in 2003 to join CAS’s Institute of Geology and
Geophysics. “At that time it wasn’t easy for the younger generation to get
research grants,” he recalls. “The Hundred Talents Program provided 2 million
yuan [about US$240,000 at the time], so that was a big grant for a
young scientist.” Wu is now the deputy director of his institute, and last year
won the TWAS Prize for Earth Sciences. In hindsight, “I think my choice
was the right one,” Wu says, citing the institute’s good facilities, access
to funding opportunities, and freedom from teaching duties. And joining
CAS has afforded him unique research opportunities, he says. “In universities,
research is organized by individual professors, but the Academy really
focuses on important problems in science or in the development of the
country,” organizing teams around high-priority research projects, he says.
Wu is part of a large collaboration that since 2006 has studied the North
China Craton, a large section of the earth’s crust that spans parts of China,
Mongolia, and Korea.
A more recent Hundred Talents recipient, Liu Lingli, earned a Ph.D. at
North Carolina State University and did a postdoc with the US Environmental
Protection Agency before taking a faculty position at the Institute of
Botany (IB-CAS) late last year. The startup package she received through
CREDIT: PHOTOS BY RICKY WONG

CREDIT: PHOTOS BY RICKY WONG
the Hundred Talents Program compared favorably with those offered at
U.S. institutions, but she admits, “To be honest, I was very nervous when
I decided to come back to China. The working pressure, the expensive
living cost in Beijing and many other things made me hesitate.” She is already
convinced her choice was the right one, however, given IB-CAS’s
high-quality facilities, the support she has received to build up her lab, the
“transparent and fair” performance appraisal system, and the opportunities
to work with talented colleagues at IB-CAS and around the world. The
institute has even provided her with free temporary housing to use for up to
five years while she looks for a permanent home. Less than half a year after
coming to IB-CAS Liu already had graduate students and a research assistant
studying the impact of climate change and air pollution on ecological
processes, work she hopes can be applied to policy development.
The success of the Hundred Talents Program has spawned other talent
recruitment initiatives, both at CAS and other Chinese institutions, such
as the Ministry of Science and Technology. “We probably took the leadership
role in recruiting talented people from overseas, and other ministries
learned from this,” says Lü. CAS itself now has an array of programs to
attract talent from abroad at various stages of their careers. The Fellowships
for Young International Scientists targets postdocs, for example,
while the Visiting Professorships for Senior International Scientists support
those already on the tenure track. One highly competitive program,
the Einstein Professorship, brings distinguished international experts to
China for one to two weeks, where they visit CAS institutes and deliver
a lecture at one of the CAS universities. After returning home, the professors
are encouraged to keep in touch with their Chinese colleagues,
and often host those colleagues or their students for short stints in their
own labs. This last program is a good way to provide mentorship and
feedback to young researchers who may have few senior colleagues
at their own institutes, says Poo Mu-ming, the director of the Institute
for Neuroscience.
The CAS Advantage
While talent recruitment programs may play a role in a scientist’s decision
to join CAS, most say that their institutes, and China itself, were the primary
draws. Zhou Qi, for example, worked at CAS’s Institute of Developmental
Biology, then at INRA in Paris. Despite his love of European culture, he
joined the Institute of Zoology in 2003 under the Hundred Talents Program.
“I think it’s my duty, because I’m a Chinese scientist,” he says of his decision
to return. “CAS is my family. I really want to contribute.” Zhou has
contributed by starting China’s first center for stem cell research and regenerative
medicine within the institute, and by doing groundbreaking work on
how mature cells can be reprogrammed to become stem cells or different
cell types.
Like Zhou, Pan Jianwei was drawn back to China by the opportunity to
make a difference. He had earned his Ph.D. at the University of Vienna and
was doing a postdoc there when he was offered a unique opportunity at his
alma mater, the University of Science and Technology of China. “I decided
to build a world-class quantum optics laboratory in China, mainly because
China, our motherland, is changing rapidly, and it is our responsibility to be
part of this great period rather than being bystanders,” he says. He joined
the university in 2001, and in 2002 started its new Division of Quantum
Physics and Quantum Information. As the division’s director, Pan oversees
research aimed at developing communications and computing applications
for quantum principles. His group has so far published many results in
high-profile journals, including an observation of an eight-photon quantum
entanglement, and last year Pan, now 42, became the youngest member
of CAS (see page 39).
Similarly, Xi Nanhua, a professor at the
Institute of Mathematics in Beijing who has
spent years studying and teaching abroad,
most recently at the University of California,
Riverside, says that cultural familiarity and
a sense of duty keep him coming back to
China. “China still doesn’t have enough
good scientists, so as a well-educated scientist
I should stay here to do more work
for the country,” he says. For him, an important
part of that work is training the next
generation. “I like to train young students,
to get more people working in this area,” he
says. In addition to his work with students
in his own research group, he has helped
devise courses for graduate students in the
institute.
But patriotism and recruiting programs
aren’t the only factors bringing scientists
back to China; the improved research conditions
at many CAS institutes also play a
role. The IVPP’s Zhou has seen the change
first-hand, having worked at the institute
as an associate research fellow in the early
1990s. After his first few years there, he
went to the University of Kansas to earn his
Ph.D., an experience he credits with giving
him a better understanding of concepts
such as population biology and evolution.
He returned to IVPP in 1999. “Before I
came back there were very few people of
my age in the institute,” he recalls. He was
the first scientist to return to IVPP after a
stint abroad, but he was soon joined by others.
“Since I came back I think the younger
generation, in their 30s, have gradually become
the major force in the research here,”
he says. He himself has published extensively
on early birds, feathered dinosaurs
and pterosaurs, and interactions between
different types of vertebrates, and is both
a member of CAS and a foreign associate
of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.
Nearby, at the Institute of Computational
Mathematics and Scientific/Engineering
Computing, Professor
Yuan Yaxiang tells a similar
story. He first came to
the institute in 1981 as a
graduate student and later
became a professor there,
but also spent time doing
research in the United Kingdom,
the United States, and
Germany. “When I was a
student here in 1982, most
of professors were very
old, and the institute was Jiang Lei
Xi Nanhua
Laboratory at the
Institute of Zoology
Institute of Zoology
Editorial News Report
37

38
News Report
Ding Hong
“It makes you
happy when you
can work with
people who
are so talented
and at least
partially share
your interests.”
Philipp Khaitovich
Editorial News Report
organized in the Soviet style—it was very
politically influenced,” he says. Under KIP
the institute was reorganized and internationalized,
and researchers gained more
control over how it is run. Such changes
made the institute more appealing to sea
turtles and others, and today, “Our institute
has a lot of top mathematicians from all
over the world,” he says.
For Jiang Lei, a professor at the Institute
of Chemistry in Beijing, China’s improving
quality of life was a factor in his decision to
return. Jiang completed part of his Ph.D.
work at the University of Tokyo, then worked
in Japan for five years, first as a postdoc at
the same university and then as a researcher
at the Kanagawa Academy of Sciences
and Technology. “When I was in Japan I
went back to China every year, and every
year I saw the changes,” he says. “This was
very important for me in making the decision
to come back to China.” Jiang joined
the Institute of Chemistry in 1999, and became
a member of CAS just 10 years later.
He studies materials found in nature, such
as spider webs and lotus leaves, to identify
what gives them their special properties,
then mimics their structures to devise products
such as self-cleaning glass.
In some fields, China’s natural environment
also helps with recruitment. In 2007,
as he was finishing his Ph.D. work in vertebrate
paleontology at Harvard University,
Canadian Corwin Sullivan found himself
with a choice between a postdoc position
at the University of Toronto at Mississauga,
where he’d done his Master’s, and one at
IVPP in Beijing. “Even then we heard so
much in the West about Chinese vertebrate
paleontology and the things that were being
discovered here,” he says. “Everyone
was talking about field opportunities in
China and opportunities to collaborate with
Chinese colleagues, so to actually come
to the IVPP seemed like a great
opportunity.” When IVPP offered
him an associate professorship
a few years later, he took it without
hesitation, in part because
China’s rich and relatively unexplored
fossil record makes it an
excellent place for researchers in
his field. “We’re seeing a bit of a
fossil gold rush here,” he says.
At IVPP he has been involved in
describing several new dinosaur
species, some with feathers and
other bird-like characteristics.
China is also of particular interest for ecosystem researchers, says Fu
Bojie, a professor at the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences
(RCEES) in Beijing. Fu was a member of the first cohort of students to
enter a university after the Cultural Revolution, and later spent a year at
the University of Stirling in Scotland as part of his Ph.D. work. He joined
RCEES in 1989 but couldn’t get adequate research funding, so in 1992
he again left China, this time for a postdoc at the Catholic University of
Leuven’s Institute for Land and Water Management in Belgium. He
returned in 1994, drawn by China’s diversity of ecosystems and the
promise of a promotion to full professor. “For my research, being in China
provides me more opportunities,” he says. Since then, he has seen
RCEES improve continuously. “The institute has had a dramatic change
in the past 10 years, in terms of young talent, equipment, atmosphere,
and institutional management,” he says. Now a member of CAS, Fu
helps coordinate the Chinese Ecosystem Research Network (CERN),
a 24-year-old project that monitors ecosystems across the country
(see page 35).
Physics is another field where CAS has a particular recruitment
advantage, says Ding Hong, chief scientist at Beijing National Laboratory
for Condensed Matter Physics, part of the Institute of Physics (IOP). In
2008, Ding left a tenured position at Boston College to take his current
job. “I feel the potential in basic science in China over the next 10 years
is much better than in the United States,” he explains. “The United
States passed its peak in basic science investment several decades
ago, but China is just starting its so-called golden years of science.”
Since Ding uses synchrotron radiation to characterize materials,
government investment in high-cost basic science facilities directly
benefits his work (see page 27). He has published numerous well-cited
papers on the properties of iron-based superconductors since going
to Beijing.
For Philipp Khaitovich, a group leader at the CAS-Max Planck Society
Partner Institute for Computational Biology (PICB), it was the institute’s
early entry into an emerging field that was most attractive. A native of Moscow,
Khaitovich was working at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary
Anthropology in Germany when he heard about plans for the PICB. “At
that time, six or seven years ago, it was not so common to have high
throughput bioinformatics data analysis and experimental labs in the same
institute,” he says. Khaitovich joined the PICB in 2006; his research focuses
on discerning the molecular-level differences between human brains
and those of other primates. “In many respects it has been better than I
expected, because we really have some excellent students and postdocs
in our group,” he says of his time at PICB. “It makes you happy when
you can work with people who are so talented and at least partially share
your interests.”
As China’s investment in sciences continues to grow, its need for skilled
researchers who thrive in an international environment is set to keep expanding
as well. One example is provided by the Institute for Plasma
Physics Director Li Jiangang, who oversees nuclear fusion development.
“For future research, we need a huge team,” he says, explaining
that building a reactor requires about 2,000 people. To meet that need
his institute places a high priority on recruitment at home and abroad,
though without losing sight of the importance of developing existing staff:
about 50 personnel are sent abroad for training or exchange each year,
Li says.
CAS’s recruits report that they find the academy to be a great place to
pursue a career. Writes IB-CAS’s Liu, “Indeed, the best job opportunities for
Chinese young scientists who received rigorous scientific training overseas
are at home.”

CREDITS: COURTESY OF CAS
Talent and Education in CAS
CAS Talent Cultivation
and Recruitment Program
Introduction
In September 2009, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) launched the
Talent Cultivation and Recruitment Program. This is a system-wide project,
aimed at increasing recruitment and developing talent in various fields, with
an overall goal of creating greater adaptability to the constantly changing
requirements for expertise in China.
This program includes four major components. The first is the “Cultivation
and Recruitment Plan of High-Level Talent,” which is being implemented
mainly through the national Thousand Talents Program and the CAS Hundred
Talents Program. These plans select top-level scientists who demonstrate
ambition, ability, and passion. The second component is the “Cultivation
Plan of Excellent Young Scientists,” which aims to advance young
scientists by providing special funding and through the establishment of
organizations like the Youth Innovation Promotion Association. The third
part of the program is the “Training Plan for Technical Talents and Administrators,”
which aims to retain the key technical talent within CAS, while
recruiting further outstanding technical talent, and recognizing and motivating
these experts in effective ways. The fourth component is the “Overseas
Intelligence Introduction and International Exchanges Plan,” which focuses
on attracting and sponsoring outstanding overseas scholars and international
scientists who are active at the forefront of science and technology
to visit or work at CAS.
By the end of 2011, CAS had successfully introduced 253 high-level
overseas researchers through the Thousand Talents Program, and recruited
and supported 2,273 outstanding scientists from both domestic
and overseas institutes, through the Hundred Talents Program. In addition,
690 young scientists have been given targeted, comprehensive research
training by the Youth Innovation Promotion Association. Moreover, CAS selects
and supports 300 young scientists annually for study abroad. In order
to strengthen the cultivation of excellent young scientists in the institutes
located in the western region of China, CAS has launched the “Western
Light Scientists Project”. To date, 876 scientists have been sponsored, 187
Ph.D. students have been trained, and 234 visiting scholars from the western
provinces have been nurtured through this project. To build a strong
team of support staff at CAS institutes, awards—financial and otherwise—
have been given to 78 technical experts at home and abroad. Meanwhile,
nearly 4,000 top workers have attended training and management courses
through Lenovo College, as well as various training courses, forums, and
seminars. To support international cooperation, 92 research groups have
been formed through the International Partner Group Program, which has
attracted 694 excellent scientific research personnel. Furthermore, 742
outstanding foreign scientists have been brought to China and honored
as CAS Visiting Professors for Senior International Scientists, while 240
young researchers from different countries have won the CAS Fellowships
for Young International Scientists.
The CAS Hundred Talents Program
Introduced in 1994, the Hundred Talents Program is the first high-quality
talent recruitment program in China. With financial support from the
Ministry of Finance, the goal of the program is to recruit hundreds of
outstanding young scientists from abroad and within China through the
end of the 20th century. To ensure successful implementation, CAS made
the following improvements: institutes are
authorized to create positions according
to actual demands; select the awardees
with an open, transparent, and competitive
selection process; perform the recruitment
process openly; and provide financial
support to the awardees.
The plan has been gradually expanded,
particularly during the national 12th Five-
Year Plan period. According to the National
Medium- and Long-term Talents Development
Program and the CAS Talents Strategic
Plan, CAS has further improved the
management in many ways, including allowing
foreigners to apply, increasing financial
support, increasing the number of
awardees, and expanding the award categories.
At present, the program supports
not only the returnees from overseas but
also the talent recruited from domestic organizations
as well as providing additional
financial support to the awardees of the
National Science Fund for Distinguished
Young Scholars [1] and the Youth Thousand
Talents Program [2]. CAS also encourages
institutes to directly recruit talent from
aboard. When the program has been operational
for three years, CAS will assess
CAS/In Focus
Professor Pan Jianwei (center), an awardee in the Thousand
Talents Program, discusses an experiment in multiphoton
entanglement with his colleagues and students.
Professor Chen Yaning (third from left), sponsored by the Western
Light Scientists Project, elucidates the eco-hydrological process,
the mechanisms, and adaptation strategy of the desert riparian
forest in response to drought stress in arid region of the Inland
River Basin.
By the end of
2011, CAS had
successfully
introduced
253 high-
level overseas
researchers
through the
Thousand Talents
Program.
39

40
CAS/In Focus
Senior Engineer Zhang
(right, a technical expert
at CAS) is drilling a 100
m ice core at Dome A,
Antarctica.
the performance of the
awardees in terms of
research achievements
and laboratory conditions.
Only the top 20%
will receive continued support while the title and honor of being a Hundred
Talents Program winner will be revoked if the final assessment is failed.
In the past 18 years, CAS has attracted a large number of outstanding
young scientists via this program. By the end of 2011, 2,237 excellent
Ph.D.-level scientists under 38 years old had been recruited. Most of
them had experience studying or working overseas: 46.4% in the United
States, 18.3% in Europe, and 13.4% in Japan. With support from the
program, these awardees have established excellent research teams,
made innovative discoveries, and published a large number of highquality
papers. They have also significantly contributed to the national
capacity of scientific and technological innovation. Among awardees
in the Hundred Talents Program, about a quarter have been awarded
the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, nearly
90 have become chief scientists in the national “973” Program [3] and
57 have been elected to be CAS or Chinese Academy of Engineering
(CAE) members.
Recruitment Program of Foreign Experts
The Recruitment Program of Foreign Experts (also known as the Recruitment
Program of Global Experts, and designed particularly for foreign experts
of non-Chinese origin) was launched in 2011 to attract more high-
CAS Fellowships and Cooperative
Programs for Foreign Talent
Professor Zhou Zhonghe (foreground),
an awardee in the Hundred Talents
Program, searches for fossils at a
quarry in western Liaoning, China.
Overview
The CAS Fellowships and Cooperative Programs for Foreign Talent were
launched as a part of the CAS Package Talent Recruitment and Training
Program within the academy to implement its Long and Mid-Term Development
Program, aimed at making CAS an internationally recognized center
for highly innovative scientific research and training, and a cradle for incubating
high-technology startups. Other goals of the program include developing
CAS into a national research institution with “first-class performance,
first-class productivity, high-standard management, and highly professional
staff” and providing strong support for implementing China’s national innovation
strategy by delivering qualified human resources and knowledge.
The objectives of the Foreign Talent Programs are to: (i) attract and provide
financial support for outstanding overseas scholars and international
Talent and Education
caliber foreign scientists. The program is implemented
by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs
(SAFEA) under the supervision of the Working Group on
High-Level Overseas Talents Introduction.
The program aims to introduce between five hundred
and one thousand high-level foreign experts over a 10year
period to cope with the demand for expertise in
key sectors of China’s socioeconomic development. A
strong emphasis is being placed on the introduction of
well-established scientists, leading experts in science
and technology, and innovative international teams capable
of achieving critical technological breakthroughs,
advancing high-tech industries, and promoting new disciplines.
Experts introduced under the Recruitment Program of Foreign Experts
are entitled to preferential treatment in international travel, residency, medical
care, insurance, housing, taxation, and remuneration. The Central Budget
offers a one-off subsidy of 1 million yuan (US$157,000) to each expert
recruited on a long-term basis under this program. In addition, 3 to 5 million
yuan (US$471,000 to 785,000) in research subsidies will be granted—at
the request of the employer—to foreign experts engaged in scientific research,
particularly basic research. Based on the length of service of the
foreign scientist in China, SAFEA will also provide certain subsidies to improve
their medical care and pension. Foreign experts working on longterm
projects under this program will be granted the honorary title of National
Distinguished Expert, and those who make outstanding contributions
in their field will be granted the national Friendship Award.
CAS is integral to the implementation of this program. In the first round
of applications, CAS successfully put forward the largest number of foreign
experts (9, or 22.5% of the total approved). In the future, CAS will introduce
more prestigious experts.
[1] “National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars”: established by National Natural
Science Foundation of China, supporting the predominant trans-century young academic
leaders who have the potential to enter the forefront of global science and technology.
[2] “Youth Thousand Talents Program”: part of the national project to introduce high-level
overseas talent, developed to increase the number of talented youth and to further provide
support for the continued development of Chinese science, technology, and industry over
the next 10 years to 20 years.
[3] “973” Program: launched by the Ministry of Science and Technology, this program is
designed to solve important scientific problems that are national priorities and at the forefront
of international science and technology.
researchers to visit, lecture, or conduct collaborative research projects at
CAS institutes; (ii) provide the opportunity for scientists from developed
countries to conduct academic exchanges and collaboration with CAS;
and (iii) provide sustained support for CAS’s innovation and development.
The CAS Foreign Talent Programs are comprised of various initiatives targeted
at different levels of international academics and researchers active
in the forefront of their disciplines (Figure 1). Briefly, these are the main programs
(described in more detail below): the CAS-MPG JUNMA Program
(scheduled to launch in 2012) recruits outstanding young research leaders
from the Max Planck Society (Max Planck Gesellschaft, MPG) to continue
CAS
their research at CAS, offering more than three years of financial support.
OF
The CAS Einstein Professorship Program invites eminent and prestigious
scientists to give inspirational lectures at CAS institutes to share their scientific
knowledge and expertise with local principal investigators, postdoc- COURTESY
toral researchers, and postgraduate students. The CAS Visiting Professorship
for Senior International Scientists helps host institutes to bring their CREDIT:

CREDIT: (TOP AND BOTTOM) COURTESY OF CAS;
(MIDDLE) PHOTO BY WANG YONGJI
Talent and Education CAS/In Focus
innovation research activities in line with cutting-edge international science
and technology by recruiting established researchers who wish to work at
CAS institutes on a full-time or short-term basis. The CAS Fellowship for
Young International Scientists enhances the cultural diversity and international
quality of the research innovation teams by recruiting early-career
researchers and postdoctoral fellows (under the age of 40) from foreign
countries to work with CAS researchers on a full-time basis for one to two
years. The TWAS-CAS Fellowship selects rising young to middle-aged scientists
from developing countries to visit or study at CAS institutes for a
maximum of 12 months in order to promote scientific development and
enhance innovation capacity in developing countries (Figure 2).
Einstein Professorship Program
The Einstein Professorship Program, founded in 2004, is awarded each
year to 20 distinguished international scientists actively working at the frontiers
of science and technology, who make a short one to two week visit to
China. The program is designed to strengthen scientific cooperation and
exchange between CAS scientists, the Einstein Professorship awardees,
and their respective laboratories, and in the long run, enhance the training
of future generations of scientists in China.
This program is open to scientists from around the world and in every scientific
discipline. Einstein Professors are expected to visit at least two CAS
institutes in two different Chinese cities during their stay, and to carry out
in-depth academic discussions with researchers and graduate students at
host institutes. Einstein Professors are generally expected to deliver a lecture
at one of the host institutes, the Graduate University of CAS (GUCAS)
located in Beijing, or the University of Science and Technology of China
(USTC) in Hefei. Each Einstein Professor is expected to have one or two
young CAS researchers from the host institutes work in their laboratories
for a period of one to three months (may be extended to up to six months),
with all expenses for these researchers covered by CAS.
Thus far, 109 Einstein Professorships have been awarded to scientists
recognized as international leaders in their fields, including 16 Noble Laureates,
three winners of the Turing Prize, two winners of the Wolf Prize, and
one winner of the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement. These professors
have made significant contributions to the improvement of scientific
innovation and training at CAS.
JUNMA Program
CAS and the Max Planck Society have extended their cooperation and
shared interest in talent exchange through the JUNMA Program, a new
initiative designed to recruit outstanding young researchers from the Max
Planck Institutes (MPIs) to continue their research at CAS. A memorandum
of understanding was signed between CAS and MPG in June 2012
and the program will launch later in the year. The JUNMA program aims to
introduce excellent young scientists into CAS institutes. It works closely
with the Recruitment Program of Foreign Experts of China, and applies a
sequential career development model to nurture the most promising talent:
Young researchers are recruited from Young Scientist Research Group
leaders after their MPI contracts end, or alternatively, young scientists with
academic potential are jointly selected by CAS and MPG to work as Young
Scientist Research Group leaders for a period of three to five years before
going to CAS (Figure 3).
The JUNMA Program offers at least three years of funding, fully financed
by CAS. Candidates receive a lump-sum personal allowance of 1 million
yuan (US$157,000), 3–5 million yuan (US$471,000–US$785,000) in
research funding, as well as allowances for medical insurance and pension
costs. Both partner organizations agree to provide candidates with
Figure 1. Summary of CAS fellowships and cooperative programs
for foreign talents.
Figure 2. Professor Bai Chunli (left), President of CAS, meets
with all foreign scientists working in CAS institutes in a special
annual meeting.
Figure 3. Flowchart showing the selection procedure
for the JUNMA Program.
41

42
CAS/In Focus
information about the research conditions and priorities at the CAS institutes,
and assistance during the application progress (Figure 4).
Contacts: Mr. Fang Qiang (CAS), qfang@cashq.ac.cn;
Dr. Barbara Spielmann (MPG), barbara.spielmann@gv.mpg.de
Fellowships for Young
International Scientists
The Fellowship for Young International Scientists aims to promote
academic exchange and cooperation between CAS institutes
and international research institutions and universities by facilitating
the development of talented scientists and attracting young international
scientists to conduct a period of cooperative research at
CAS institutes.
The program targets the following two groups: research scientists holding
Ph.D. degrees, under the age of 40, and having over five years of research
experience and sound academic accomplishments; and postdoctoral applicants
holding Ph.D. degrees and under the age of 35. Nominations can
be submitted either by a CAS host institute or by a designated international
partner institution of CAS. CAS will provide each fellowship recipient with
a grant to cover his or her salary, a daily
living allowance, and health insurance.
The value of the grant depends on the A total of 240 young
length of the visit and the academic experience
of the visitor. Recipients of the international scientists
research scientist level grant will receive
up to 250,000 yuan (US$39,250) per have been granted
year. Postdoctoral recipients will receive
up to 150,000 yuan (US$23,550) per young international
year. CAS will also cover the cost of an
economy-class, round-trip international fellowship in the last
ticket.
A total of 240 young international
three years.
scientists have been granted a young
international fellowship in the last three
years. Some 86% of foreign young scientists come from well-known, international
organizations. Two-hundred and ninety-five young scientists under
35 years old have also been awarded research funding by the National Natural
Science Foundation of China (NSFC). A number of high-quality publications
have come out of work performed under this program (Figure 5).
Visiting Professorship for Senior
International Scientists
The aim of the Visiting Professorship Program is to enhance the innovation
capacity of CAS institutes by inviting accomplished scientists from overseas
to participate in research at CAS with the hope of strengthening cooperation
and exchange between CAS institutes and international research
institutions and universities.
This program is intended for international scientists who either are currently,
or were previously, at well-known universities, research institutes, or
multinational corporations, and who wish to develop a substantial longterm
collaborative relationship with CAS. Candidates for the program
should be recommended by a CAS host institute or a designated international
partner institution of CAS, with which they share similar research
interests. Nominations are accepted twice each year, from March 1 to 15
and from September 1 to 15.
The exact value of each grant is determined according to the length of the
visit and the academic performance of the visitor. A recipient who is current-
Talent and Education
Figure 4. Three scientists from CAS-MPG Partner Institute for
Computational Biology are pictured at the CAS Shanghai Institutes
for Biological Sciences: (from left to right) Stefan Grünewald, PI;
Danny Tholen, Associate Professor; Steffan Wolf, Dr.rer.nat. and Staff
Scientist.
Figure 5. Corwin Sullivan, recipient of the Fellowship for Young
International Scientists (2010–2012), has been an Associate
Professor at CAS’s Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and
Paleoanthropology since 2012.
ly a professor or equivalent—including those who have been honored with
a top international award—will receive up to 500,000 yuan (US$78,500)
per year. A recipient of lower academic standing, such as an associate
professor or equivalent, will receive up to 400,000 yuan (US$63,200) per
year. This grant is used for covering the recipient’s salary, daily living allowance,
and health insurance. CAS will also provide economy-class,
round-trip international airfare between the visitor’s home and the host
institute city.
To date, a total of 742 senior international scientists, including some fellows
of foreign academies, have been sponsored by this fellowship. The
vast majority of these visiting professors are from highly respected institutions
and universities around the world. Several senior international scientists
were awarded additional grants by the State Administration of Foreign
Expert Affairs.
CREDIT: PHOTO BY RICKY WONG

CREDITS: (1, 2 AND 5) COURTESY OF USTC NEWS CENTER; (3, 4) PHOTO BY RICKY WONG
Talent and Education CAS/In Focus
(1)
(5)
Snapshots of CAS. (1) Library on the University of Science and Technology of China west campus; (2) 2011 USTC graduates; (3) The Laboratory
for Quantum Computing, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, USTC in Hefei; (4) Professor Li Can (left), CAS member,
Director of Dalian National Laboratory for Clean Energy, and Deputy Director of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics at CAS is pictured with
three Ph.D. students working in the Photocatalysis Evaluation Laboratory in Dalian. (5) USTC students won Gold and Silver medals in the 15th
World RoboCup.
Research in Combination
with Education
Apart from its research institutes and the academic divisions, CAS also
functions as a leading educational institution for science and technology
(S&T) talent.
CAS was a pioneer in supporting graduate education in China. A government-backed
program called, “Enrollment Measures of Research Assistants
and Postgraduate Students for the Summer Term 1951,” jointly
issued by CAS and the Ministry of Education in 1951, brought about a
new system of educating postgraduates in Chinese research institutions.
In 1958, the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) was
established in accordance with the goal of promoting a combination of science
and education to foster innovative talent.
Since implementation of the Knowledge Innovation Program in 1998, a
series of new models for combining research and education have been
created in accordance with the principle of fostering highly trained and innovative
researchers. In 2000, CAS reorganized all its postgraduate educational
resources, and with the approval of the Academic Degrees Committee
of the State Council and the Ministry of Education, the UTSC Graduate
School was renamed the Graduate University of CAS (GUCAS). A new
system was implemented that strives to provide the best-qualified teaching
personnel and utilize leading research and teaching methodology, while
creating an environment that supports the highest standards of education
and management.
Uniquely, all members of CAS or the Chinese Academy of Engineering
(CAE) are regarded as teachers or supervisors in GUCAS. This includes a
senior level of tutor group consisting of over 320 CAS or CAE members,
over 4,200 doctoral advisors, and over 3,900 masters advisors. By taking
such an approach, the organic combination of high-quality educational
(2)
(4)
(3)
resources with scientific resources has been realized, allowing for the creation
of a solid foundation for the simultaneous development for science
and education.
In addition, a unified management system has been formed within the
past few years that encompasses the institutes as the base and graduate
students as the main body. The focus is now on further improving cooperation
between research institutions, research departments, and education
institutions in order to train top-class researchers and produce the highest
quality science, while also promoting the transfer of technology to industry.
UTSC has a long history of bringing together research institutes
and education departments to bring about mutually beneficial strategic
cooperation.
CAS research institutes have gained valuable experience from integrating
research with education. For example, the Academy of Mathematics and
Systems Science helped GUCAS establish a College of Mathematic Science
in 2006, developing a new graduate education model by applying the
concepts of “an institute in combination with an education department” and
“research institutions with education priorities.” The new model for graduate
student education system has been fostered, embracing the tenets of
“designing for the whole process, implementing in all stages, and learning
aimed at application and supervision.”
UTSC has established an effective approach to foster outstanding talent
and create research innovation with practical applications through the
adoption of a new model to “manage education with the whole academy’s
efforts, and combine research institutes with education departments.” This
has resulted in closer cooperation between and within research institutes.
As a national research team, CAS has also adopted various measures to
provide support to its other research institutes so they may also establish
cooperative solutions with universities in terms of curricula development,
joint research, and education.
43

44
Professor Wan Lijun, TWAS
Fellow, CAS Member, and
Director General of the
Institute of Chemistry,
Center for Molecular
Science at CAS.
“I consider
the TWAS-CAS
fellowship as the
high point of my
career (and the
internationalization
of my career).”
Editorial News Report:
CAS and the Academy of Sciences for the
Developing World–A Fruitful Partnership
TWAS Fellow Professor Yao
Tandong, Director of the Institute
of Tibetan Plateau Research at CAS
and a CAS Member.
In September 2012, the Chinese Academy
of Sciences (CAS) will host the
12th General Conference and 23rd
General Meeting of TWAS, the Academy
of Sciences for the Developing World.
The conference, which has the theme ‘Science
and Sustainability,’ is expected to
bring more than 700 participants to Tianjin,
and is the latest manifestation of a fruitful
30-year partnership.
TWAS, then known as the Third World
Academy of Sciences, was founded in Trieste,
Italy in 1983 with the aim of promoting
“scientific excellence and capacity in
the South for science-based sustainable
development,” according to its mission
statement. CAS scientists were involved in
TWAS activities from the beginning, and in
1986 a TWAS office opened at CAS headquarters
in Beijing, which later became the
Regional Office for East and South-East
Asia and the Pacific. A year later TWAS held
its first event outside Italy, a General Conference
in Beijing. It was a milestone for China
as well as for TWAS, as it was one of the
first times the country had put its science
on display to the world and made it clear
that it welcomed collaborations with scientists
in both developing and developed
countries. The opening ceremony was held
in the Great Hall of the People, where China’s
top legislative bodies meet. Mohamed
President of Shanghai Institutes
for Biological Sciences (SIBS)
and TWAS Fellow, Professor
Chen Xiaoya. Chen is also a
CAS Member and Professor at
the Shanghai Institute of Plant
Physiology and Ecology.
Professor Fang Jingyun,
Director of the Institute of
Botany at CAS.
Hassan, who participated in the meeting and later served as TWAS executive
director, has called that meeting the “coming-out party” for Chinese science.
Beijing again hosted the TWAS General Conference in 2003, marking
the organization’s 20-year anniversary. The opening ceremony again took
place in the Great Hall of the People, this time just hours after the successful
completion of China’s first manned spaceflight. Speakers included
Chinese President Hu Jintao, Nobel Laureates Hartmut Michel and Samuel
C. Ting, then-TWAS President C.N.R. Rao, and then-President of the U.S.
National Academy of Sciences Bruce Alberts. The meeting highlighted how
far both TWAS and Chinese science had come.
Today, the Regional Office is headed by CAS President Bai Chunli, who
also serves as vice president of TWAS. The office helps countries in the
region to nominate potential TWAS members (see sidebar), organizes
TWAS-CAS workshops on topics at the frontiers of science, and nominates
candidates for TWAS prizes. One of its biggest responsibilities is administering
the TWAS-CAS fellowships, which since 2004 have brought nearly
400 scientists from other developing countries to China for Ph.D. training,
postdoctoral studies, or visiting researcher stints. The fellowships, which
last for a few months for visiting researchers and for between six months
and a year for others, give recipients the opportunity to make international
contacts and receive training and access to equipment that may not be
available at their home institutions. “Science is not a rich man’s club,” says
Yuan Yaxiang, a professor at the Institute of Computational Mathematics
and Scientific/Engineering Computing who has supervised some of the
students in the program. “People in developing countries have the potential
WONG
to contribute to science, so why not use it? It’s good for the whole world.”
One 2010 participant, Emeka E. Oguzie, wrote in an e-mail, “I consider RICKY
the TWAS-CAS fellowship as the high point of my career (and the interna- BY
tionalization of my career). The fellowship enabled me to do good quality
work, which I have been proud to present at international conferences and PHOTOS
publish in key, high-impact journals.” Oguzie spent a year as a postdoctoral
researcher in the Institute of Metal Research (IMR) in Shenyang, where CREDIT:

CREDIT: COURTESY OF CAS
he “learnt how to make use of modern research facilities and had access to current
literature,” he writes. Now back in his native Nigeria, where he is a reader (professor)
in chemistry at the Federal University of Technology Owerri, Oguzie maintains close
ties with his colleagues at the institute and says that his experiences there helped him
successfully apply for grants to buy some of the same research equipment he used in
China. “This means that my lab is comparatively better equipped than most similar labs
[in Nigeria] studying corrosion, which is attracting a lot of postgraduate students and as
well as interest from oil and gas companies,” he writes. (Corrosion is a major problem
on the equipment used for oil and gas drilling.)
One of Oguzie’s students, Benedict Ikenna Onyeachu, is now at IMR on a TWAS-CAS
fellowship of his own, comparing the corrosion properties of two different materials. He
plans to return to Nigeria next year, where he hopes that his research can help local
industries. In addition, he says, “I owe young minds (especially scholars) in my country
the duty of training them and allowing them to acquire and appreciate the knowledge I
have gained thus far.”
Another former TWAS-CAS fellow who is looking to apply his training to immediate
problems back home is Emmanuel Iyayi Unuabonah, who in 2006 spent time at the
Institute of Soil Science in Nanjing. A graduate student at the time, he learned to analyze samples using scanning electron
microscopy and X-ray diffraction equipment as well as “how to design a workable experiment, laboratory ethics, and how
to write articles for peer-reviewed journals with high-impact factors,” he says. Now a senior lecturer in chemistry at Redeemer’s
University in Nigeria, he is working on “developing low-cost materials with high efficiency for removing micropollutants
from water and wastewater,” work that has been helped by his continuing relationship with his mentor in Nanjing.
Unuabonah credits his experience there with improving both his research and teaching abilities.
Kifayatullah Khan, who is now doing a TWAS-CAS Postgraduate Fellowship at the Research Center for Eco-environment
Sciences as part of his Ph.D. work at the University of Peshawar in Pakistan, hopes his experience will have similar results.
“Once I enhance my educational and technical skills, then I will be able to contribute something in the development of
my motherland,” he explains. “With improved presentational and communicational skills I will be able to teach in a better
way and will inspire students in innovation and research, which are the key factors in the development of a nation.” Khan
plans to analyze how heavy metals in soil and ground water may make their way into agricultural and dairy products, and
ultimately the humans who consume them.
When attendees gather for the TWAS 12th General Conference and 23rd General Meeting in September this year, they
may not be treated to anything as dramatic as a first glimpse of China’s scientific landscape or breaking news of the country’s
first spaceflight, but they may still find themselves surprised by how far their hosts have come scientifically—and what
they’re planning to do next.
(L to R) Bai Chunli, C.N.R. Rao, and Bruce Alberts at the TWAS
14th General Meeting, 2003 in Beijing.
TWAS Honors and Awards
Each year TWAS elects 45 to 50 new members who have made significant
contributions to science, and who either live and work in a developing
country or have actively promoted science in developing countries.
Mainland China currently has 160 TWAS members.
TWAS also awards a number of prizes that recognize excellent work by
scientists in developing countries. Over the years, 42 researchers in China
have won such prizes.
Dr. Emeka Oguzie from Nigeria, 2005 CAS-TWAS
Postdoctoral Fellowship Awardee in the Institutes
of Metal Research.
The CAS-TWAS-WMO
Forum
The CAS-TWAS-World Meteorological
Organization Forum (CTWF) was
founded in 2000 with the goal of improving
climate modeling and prediction. At
the annual CTWF symposia, mathematicians,
physicists, and atmospheric and
oceanic scientists come together in China
to discuss gaps in knowledge related
to modeling and how to fill them. The
emphasis of the 2011 workshop was on
building the research capacity of participants,
establishing connections among
them, and managing the local impact of
global climate change.
“Once I
enhance my
educational and
technical skills,
then I will be able
to contribute
something in the
development of
my motherland.”
Editorial News Report
45

46 CAS/In Brief
Award for International Scientific
Cooperation of the Chinese
Academy of Sciences
The CAS Award for International Scientific Cooperation was initiated in
2007 and is intended to commend and honor eminent foreign experts who
have made outstanding contributions to facilitate cooperation with CAS in
science and technology. It is presented annually.
Candidates can be nominated by the President or Vice Presidents of
CAS, Institutions within CAS, or Bureaus in CAS headquarters. Awards
are given for significant contributions in the following areas: promoting the
establishment of strategic partnerships between CAS and foreign scientific
organizations; introducing innovative ideas, technology, or methodology
that serves to enhance CAS’s competency in addressing key issues in science,
technology, and management; introducing innovative talent or highgrade
scientists to CAS; or playing an important role in the construction,
operation, or management of “big science” facilities.
An appraisal committee is organized and is responsible for the evaluation
and appraisal of candidates for the award. The CAS President holds
the post of chairman of the committee, while relevant leaders and experts
of the Academy perform the duties of vice-chairman and committee members.
The results are submitted to the President’s executive board for final
approval.
CAS invites recipients of the Award to a conferring ceremony, usually followed
by academic visits. The award is presented by the President of CAS
at the annual working conference with leaders from all the institutes. The
award has to date been presented to 14 foreign experts, 10 of whom were
also recommended for, and received, the China International Science and
Technology Cooperation Award. Ten awardees have also been presented
with the State Friendship Award by the State Council of the People’s Republic
of China.
CAS International Cooperation
Award for Young Scientists
CAS International Cooperation Award for Young Scientists was initiated in 2011
to recognize and award international young scientists and their CAS collaborators
who have made substantial progress in research and innovation. It aims to
encourage longer-term international partnerships among young scientists, enable
broader global networking, and promote CAS’s science and technology
innovation agenda.
Candidates can be nominated by the President and Vice Presidents of CAS,
or CAS Institutions, and Bureaus in CAS headquarters. They are evaluated in
four categories: basic research, biology and biotechnology, resources and environment,
and high technology. The candidates should be younger than 45 years
The 14 winners (2007 to 2011) of Award for International Scientific
Cooperation from the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
2011 (L to R): Lonnie G. Thompson (USA), Shin-ichi Kurokawa
(Japan), Flemming Besenbacher (Denmark); 2010 (L to R):
Aikichi Iwamoto (Japan), Stephen C. Porter (USA), G.Q. Max Lu
(Australia); 2009 (L to R): Gerhard Boerner (Germany), Peter H.
Raven (USA), Roger-Maurice Bonnet (France); 2008 (L to R): Arima
Akito (Japan), Michel Che (France), Yuen-Ron Shen (USA); 2007
(L to R): Lothar Reh (Switzerland), Scott Douglas Rozelle (USA).
of age. Foreign scientists should possess an official position in an overseas organization and have at least one year of working experience in a CAS affiliate.
The CAS collaborator should also hold a full-time research position in a CAS affiliate. Their cooperation should have been under way for at least three
years and have achieved at least one of the following outstanding results: demonstrated internationally recognized innovations in a basic research field;
developed a key technology, submitted a patents for a new technology, or implemented a technology transfer; solved major scientific and technological
problems for the benefits of society; provided key technical solutions in the development or construction of CAS “big science” facilities or other major
equipment.
The appraisal committee is composed members of the CAS International Scientific Cooperation committee and is responsible for evaluation and appraisal
of candidates for the award. The results are submitted to the President’s executive board of CAS for final approval. A formal award-conferring
ceremony is organized each year, and President (or Vice President) of CAS presents the award certificates to the awardees. The CAS awardees receive
preferential treatment if applying for the CAS External Cooperation Program or other international talent recruitment programs.
The first five pairs of young scientists were presented with this award in 2011.
CREDIT: COURTESY OF CAS

CREDIT: COURTESY OF CAS
Technology Transfer
At the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), technology transfer is one of the critical components of its mission to promote
reform and innovation, and translate research results into value-added technology and products. Through cooperation
with local governments and companies, CAS, together with its many branches and institutes, establishes joint research
institutes, R&D centers, centers of technology transfer, and technology incubation centers to promote the local economic
and social development.
The 29 centers
of technology
transfer or
incubation
centers.
Achievements in the
commercialization
of scientific research
at CAS (2001–2011),
which produced
sales revenue of
967.8 billion yuan
(US$151.9 billion)
and profits of 156.8
billion yuan (US$24.6
billion) for local
enterprises. Numbers
above graph lines
indicate 100’s
of million yuan.
Summary of platforms for technology transfer.
With local
governments
New, jointly built research institutes 12
CAS-level centers for technology transfer or incubation centers 29
Institute-level centers for technology transfer or incubation centers 298
With local
companies Institute-level technology centers or engineering centers 332
Million yuan
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
161
243
35 50
312
359
422
512
623
59 68 76 75 102
964
135
1404
217
2049
337
2629
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Sales revenue(100 million yuan) Profits(100 million yuan)
414
CAS/In Brief
Top Six Fields
of Technology
Transfer:
• New materials
and applications
• Advanced
manufacturing
• Biomedicine
and medical
equipment
• Agricultural
technology
• Electronic and
information
technology
• New, highefficiency
energy
technology
47

48
CAS/In Brief
CAS has built up
a formal science
education and
communication
system based on
its multiple and
diverse institutes
and facilitated
by supporting
structures such as
research networks
and academic
journals.
Science Education and Communication
CAS graduate students working as volunteers for the 2009 CAS Public Science Day.
Since its inception as the leading national academic institution in China, the Chinese Academy of Sciences
(CAS) has played a significant role as a national leader in science education and communication. CAS has
built up a formal science education and communication system based on its multiple and diverse institutes
and facilitated by supporting structures such as research networks and academic journals.
The annual CAS Public Science Day is one of the outreach activities arranged to popularize science.
Each year, on one weekend day in May, CAS laboratories, botanical gardens, museums (herbariums),
astronomical observatories, and “big science” facilities are open to the public free of charge to carry out
either lab experiments or lectures. It is a popular event with the general public and always attracts tens of
thousands of visitors throughout the country.
The Science and China Lecture Tour was initiated in 2002 and includes lectures given by CAS members
and experts on topics including S&T history, current hot issues, ethics in science, the relationship between
S&T and the economy, and S&T and social development. On the science education publications side, the
Science and China series (a collection of the Science and China lecture tours) and the Science and Life
series (biographies of CAS members) are both best sellers.
A young boy talks to a robot at the 2011 CAS
Public Science Day.
Some best-selling science CAS journals.
CREDIT: COURTESY OF CAS

CREDIT: (FROM TOP) COURTESY OF THE INSTITUTE OF OCEANOLOGY, CAS;
COURTESY OF THE INSTITUTE OF TIBETAN PLATEAU RESEARCH, CAS
The International Meridian
Circle Program
The International Meridian Circle Program (IMCP), an international program
on space weather, is proposed to connect the 120° E and 60° W chains
of ground-based monitors located in Russia, Australia, Brazil, the United
States, Canada, and other countries. Its main purpose is to monitor the
solar-terrestrial coupling and its influence on the planetary environment.
Contact: Professor Wang Chi, cw@spaceweather.ac.cn
NPOCE Observation Program
International Science Programs Initiated by CAS
The Third Pole Environment (TPE)
TPE develops knowledge in earth system sciences of the past, present,
and future, with a special focus on environmental issues of the Tibetan
Plateau and surrounding regions. Through holding workshops, organizing
research projects, establishing flagship stations and databases, and educating
younger generations, the TPE addresses ‘water-ice-air-vegetationrock(soil)-human’
interactions, and thus addresses the maintenance of regional
environmental sustainability. The TPE recently won a NSFC project
entitled “Multi-phase water (solid-liquid-vapor) transformation under global
change.”
Contact: Professor Yao Tandong, tdyao@itpcas.ac.cn
Global Change and Its Biological
Consequences: Opportunities and
Challenges
Global change, especially global climate change, is now one of the most
discussed topics around the world. What the consequences of global
warming are, or will be, is a hotly debated topic. With the support of CAS,
the International Society of Zoological Sciences (ISZS) initiated an international
research program called the Biological Consequences of Global
Change (BCGC).
Contact: Professor Xie Yan, xieyan@ioz.ac.cn
CAS/In Brief
Northwestern Pacific Ocean
Circulation and Climate
Experiment (NPOCE)
NPOCE is a CLIVAR-endorsed joint international program
with 19 institutions from Australia, China, Germany,
Indonesia, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and the United
States. It aims to understand the dynamics of the northwestern
Pacific Ocean circulation and its role in warm
pool maintenance and low-frequency variability, modulation
of the ENSO cycle, East Asia monsoon variability,
and tropical cyclones.
Contact: Professor Wang Fan, fwang@qdio.ac.cn
TPE focuses on earth systems of the past, present, and future.
49

Guest Editors
Lü Yonglong
An Jianji
Gong Haihua
Academic Panel
Fan Weiming
Kong Li
Li Hefeng
Liu Minghua
Lü Yonglong
Pan Jiaofeng
Qi Qiang
Wang Yuechao
Zhang Zhibin
Coordinating
Group
An Jianji
Bi Jinchu
Cai Changta
Cao Aimin
Chen Wei
Chen Wenkai
Cui Shengxian
Feng Kai
Hao Shuai
He Jingdong
Hu Haiyang
Gong Haihua
Liu Jie
Luo Xiao’an
Ning Bolun
Niu Dong
Ru Zhitao
Tao Zongbao
Xu Hang
Yan Lin
Yan Jie
Yang Hui
Yang Xingxian
Yang Yongfeng
Zhang Ningning
Zhang Xiao
CREDIT: COURTESY OF CAS