Special Review

Special Review on CAS International Cooperation

International Cooperation：One of the Key Development Strategies
Over the past 60 years since its founding in 1949, CAS has attached great importance to and been actively engaged in international cooperation and exchange. While focusing on Europe, the United States, Japan, Russia and other countries advanced in S&T, CAS also pinpointed exchanges and cooperation with neighboring countries and developing countries. The international cooperation of CAS has gradually shifted from general S&T cooperation to major strategic cooperation and changed dramatically in terms of depth, scope, types and contents. In particular, since the implementation of Knowledge Innovation Project in 1998, CAS has further expanded its international cooperation and achieved remarkable success, which is demonstrated by the following achievements: the rebuilding of Beijing electron-positron collider, upgrading of Tokamak Device, construction of the Cooling Storage Ring of Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou (HIRFL-CSR), China-US joint neutrino experiment international cooperation project in Daya Bay, the Geospace Double Star Exploration Project, 1% human genome sequencing project, China-Japan cooperative research in sand storms, the construction of Yangbajing International Cosmic Ray Observatory, the 21st Century Demonstration Base for Environmental Protection of the Chinese Capital’s Peripheral Areas, China-Russian Science and Technology Park and the successful completion of many other projects. The international cooperation and exchange have increased from roughly 10,000 person-times in 1998 to over 24,000 person-times in 2008. As of 2008, CAS has signed more than 180 long-term and stable international cooperation and exchange agreements on the ministerial level with over 70 scientific research institutions, universities, enterprises and other agencies in more than 40 countries and more than 650 agreements between CAS subordinate institutes and foreign research institutes or laboratories. The number of international meetings sponsored by CAS has increased from over 50 a year to over 300 a year at present. The scientists of CAS holding post in international scientific and technological organizations have increased from nearly 400 person-times in 1998 to over 900 person-times in 2008.

Emphasis of Current International Cooperation

CAS will actively promote international cooperation centering on the construction of innovation bases and innovation activities of research institutes and subject to the characteristics and demands of basic research, hi-tech and sustainable eco-social development. With respect to partners, the cooperation between CAS and Germany, France, UK, Finland, Swede and other developed West and North European countries has a sound foundation and shows bright prospects. The cooperation covers wide fields, including physics, chemistry, material science, earth science, oceanology, environmental science, space science, astronomy, IT, space technology, advanced manufacture, new energy, agricultural technology, bioethics, etc. CAS has consolidated and developed cooperation with MPS of Germany, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), French Atomic Energy Commission, various research councils and research universities of the UK, Education and Research Department of Italy, Italian National Research Council, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and different research agencies of the EU.

CAS has launched mutually beneficial cooperation based on common requirements with the United States in life science, material science, transportation, energy, pharmacy, computer technology and IT products. Moreover, it has also strengthened cooperation and exchanges with NSF, DOE, National Institute of Health and research universities of the United States.
The cooperation between CAS and Japan mainly focuses on high-energy physics, accelerator, synchrotron radiation, global climate change, advanced manufacturing technology, and development and utilization of biological resources. CAS has consolidated and developed its cooperation with the S&T and industrial community, NGOs and established new models of cooperation, like “China-China-Foreign” and “Key Universities Group”, etc. with Japan.

CAS has cooperated with Russia in material science, energy, eco-environment, aviation, aerospace, new material, chemical technology, manufacturing technology and rational utilization of biological and natural resources and focused on the cooperation with the Russian Academy of Sciences and its Novosibirsk Branch.

Exchanges and cooperation with developing countries, particularly the neighboring developing countries, are one of the major targets of CAS.

CAS shall strengthen cooperation with the Korean Institute of Science and Technology, Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Natural Foundation of Korea and other major S&T institutions of Korea, such as the Samsung Corporation and etc., in terms of relevant technology of automobile, semiconductor, high-speed railway and nuclear power plant. CAS has cooperated with Singapore and Malaysia in electronic information, manufacturing technology, fine chemicals, biological medicine, IT and other relevant fields.

Regarding cooperation with India, South Africa, Brazil and other developing countries, CAS has attached importance to IT, space technology, material science, aviation, aerospace, oceanic research and other fields. CAS has strengthened cooperation with the Indian Department of Science and Technology, Indian Academy of Sciences, National Science and Technology Committee of South Africa, Scientific and Industrial Research Council of South Africa, Brazilian Department of Science and Technology, Brazilian Academy of Sciences, etc.

The cooperation between CAS and Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Burma, Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries mainly focuses on biological resources, natural medicine and renewable resources. The cooperation between CAS and Central Asian countries mainly focuses on mineral resources, renewable resources, eco-environment, research of earthquake and geological activities and exchange and introduction of agricultural species.

In addition to the 180 or more long-term international cooperation agreements with different countries and their institutions, CAS is also sponsoring and implementing some specific programs to promote various kinds of international cooperation, including: the Einstein Professorship Program, CAS Young Foreign Scientists Fellowship Program, International Partnership Program for Creative Research Teams, Academy of Sciences of Developing Countries-CAS Scholarship Program, the CAS International Cooperation Science & Technology Award, etc. , which are elaborated in other paragraphs of this issue.

CAS will still spare no effort to focus on the main stream of innovation capacity construction, improve its capacity to effectively absorb international S&T innovation resources, create excellent working environment for the international cooperation and warmly welcome international peers to participate in relevant collaborative programs.