Chinese Academy of Sciences facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Chinese Academy of Sciences

Seal of the Academy
Other name	中国科学院 (Native Name)
Parent institution	State Council of China
Founder(s)	Government Administration Council of the Central People's Government (emerged to the State Council in 1954)
Established	1 November 1949; 75 years ago (1949-11-01)
Focus	Natural sciences
President	Hou Jianguo
Staff	69,000 (2022)
Key people	Wu Zhaohui, Vice President
Budget	CN¥162.1 billion (2022)
Formerly called	Academia Sinica (1949–1980s)
Location	Nationwide , China
Address	52 Sanlihe Rd, Xicheng, Beijing, China
Chinese name
Simplified Chinese	中国科学院
Traditional Chinese	中國科學院
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zhōngguó Kēxuéyuàn

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS; Chinese: 中国科学院) is China's main organization for natural sciences. It also acts as a top advisor for science and technology in the People's Republic of China. CAS is the biggest research group in the world. It includes 100 research centers and two universities. About 69,000 full-time staff and 79,000 graduate students work or study there.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences started from an older group called Academia Sinica. It was even known by that name until the 1980s. CAS works like a national science think tank. This means it gives advice and checks on important issues. These issues include the country's economy, how society changes, and new science and technology. Its main office is in Beijing, but it has many centers all over China. CAS has also helped start many businesses, like the famous computer company Lenovo.

CAS also runs two important universities. These are the University of Science and Technology of China and the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Both are ranked among the best universities in the world for science.

Becoming a Member of CAS

The main building of the CAS headquarters in 2017.

Being a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is a special honor. These members are called Academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This title is given to Chinese scientists who have made big discoveries. It is the highest academic award in China.

To become a formal member, a scientist must be a Chinese citizen. However, scientists from other countries can become "foreign academicians." Members who are older than 80 are called "senior members." They no longer hold leadership roles in the organization.

CAS Academicians have important duties. They must help science and technology grow. They also promote good scientific practices. They help train new scientists and attend meetings. They also work to connect Chinese science with other countries. These members can give ideas and help shape China's science policies.

A Look at CAS History

In 1972, CAS began to focus on two things. They wanted to balance practical research with more basic, theoretical research. They also aimed to share scientific ideas with other developing countries.

In 1975, Deng Xiaoping, a top leader, wanted CAS to do more theoretical research. This kind of research was not a main focus during the Cultural Revolution. Deng famously said, "the Academy of Sciences is an Academy of Sciences, not an Academy of Cabbage." He meant it should focus on serious science.

Deng asked Hu Yaobang, a CAS leader, to make a plan for CAS. Deng and his helper, Hu Qiaomu, improved the plan. In 1974, they released "The Outline Report on the Work of the Academy of Sciences." This report said that China's science was behind. To catch up, China needed to focus on basic science. This would build a strong foundation for future discoveries.

This new way of thinking about science lost support in 1976 when Deng Xiaoping was removed from power. But many people within CAS still believed in it. A month before Deng returned to power in 1977, the Outline Report was brought back. It became the official policy for CAS.

After Deng returned, he held meetings about science and education. He said that science should lead China's modernization. CAS then set goals for natural sciences to reach by 1985. They decided China should strengthen basic science through working with other countries.

To promote this, Deng started a campaign for the National Science Conference. A team led by Fang Yi, a CAS leader, organized events. Schools, factories, and communities held events for young people. These events celebrated science and technology.

In 1977, the part of CAS that studied philosophy and social sciences became a separate group. This new group was called the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Scientific Standards

On February 26, 2007, CAS shared its Declaration of Scientific Ideology. It also created a group to ensure scientific honesty. This was to make research more open and responsible. Around the same time, the Ministry of Science and Technology also took steps. They worked to stop bad behavior in science projects funded by the government.

Awards and Recognition

Since 1999, CAS has given out the annual State Preeminent Science and Technology Award. The President of China presents this award to the winner.

CAS has been ranked as the top research institute in the world. This ranking comes from the Nature Index, starting in 2014. It has also published the most articles on sustainable development. These articles were indexed in the Web of Science from 1981 to 2018.

In 2023, Clarivate's list of Highly Cited Researchers included 270 CAS members. This made CAS researchers the largest group from any single organization on the list.

Working with Other Countries

The Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth is a part of CAS. This institute used to be a customer of the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC). SSC helps send data from satellites to Earth. In 2020, SSC decided not to renew its contracts with China. They also stopped seeking new business with China.

Images for kids

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  Main entrance to Ningbo Institute of Industrial Technology, CAS.

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  The Institute of Computing Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, in Beijing.

See also

In Spanish: Academia China de las Ciencias para niños