Brief News

Lu Yongxiang Meets Lord Wilson

On Oct. 14, Lu Yongxiang, President of CAS, met with Lord Wilson, the visiting President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Lu reviewed the cooperation and exchanges between the two parties and expressed his wishes to further strengthen the cooperation with the Royal Society of Edinburgh. He suggested that both parties can hold small-size seminars on stem cell, neuroscience, renewable energy, such as wind energy and solar energy, and other fields of frontier sciences of common interest. Lord Wilson positively responded to President Lu’s suggestion. He said that though the Royal Society of Edinburgh doesn’t have outstanding research entities as CAS, it will actively promote exchange, visits and cooperation between the Chinese and British scholars in the future.

Bai Chunli and Zhores Alferov Share UNESCO Award

On Nov. 3, Paris-based UNESCO awarded the first medals for “contributions to the development of nanoscience and nanotechnologies" to Bai Chunli, Executive Vice President of CAS, and Zhores Ivanovich Alferov, member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and laureate of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physics. Shi Shuyun, the Chinese Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, received the medal on behalf of Bai Chunli. "This award is recognition of the tremendous benefits of progress in the fields of nanoscience and nanotechnologies on our societies, our economies, and on all of us. This new branch of science works at the frontiers of knowledge. It is fast moving, and it is exciting" said Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, at the awarding ceremony. Due to the great potentialities of nanoscience and nanotechnologies in promoting the development of countries and societies, including developing countries, UNESCO will give support to the development of this new knowledge base. At the awarding ceremony, Bokova, the Director-General highly commented that the “two world-class scientists whose work has taken forward our understanding of nature”.

Bai Chunli Visits India and Present at TWAS Meeting

Bai Chunli, Vice President of TWAS and Executive Vice President of CAS, led a Chinese TWAS members delegation to attend the 21st General Meeting of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS) held in Hyderabad, India, from Oct. 19 to 22. Bai Chunli chaired the symposium of TWAS members from East Asia and Pacific region and young affiliates. There were About 300 members of TWAS, prize-winning scientists and specially invited representatives from more than 50 countries and regions attended the meeting, and 58 scientists elected members of TWAS. Manmohan Singh, Indian Prime Minister was present at the meeting and addressed the opening ceremony.

From Oct. 23 to 26, Bai Chunli and his entourage visited the India Academy of Sciences (IAS), Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Indian Chemical Research Society (ICRS) and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). During the visit, Bai Chunli was granted the title of honorary member of ICRS.

Jiang Mianheng Meets Steven Koonin

On Nov. 4, Jiang Mianheng, Vice President of CAS, met with Steven Koonin, Under Secretary for Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Both parties mainly discussed issues about cooperation in the fields of nuclear energy and basic energy science. Jiang Mianheng said that in light of expansion of cooperation between CAS and DOE and common challenges faced by China and the United States in the field of energy, the present cooperation mechanism between both parties is unable to satisfy the needs and both parties need to establish a new cooperation mechanism to further upgrade the level of cooperation. Steven Koonin agreed to this point. Both parties also exchanged views on the specific fields of cooperation and explored the development trend of advanced nuclear energy, smart grid and clean energy.

Li Jiayang Meets Wayne Mapp

On Oct. 15, Li Jiayang, Vice President of CAS, met with Wayne Mapp, Minister of Research, Science and Technology of New Zealand, and his entourage. Li Jiayang and Minister Mapp jointly witnessed the signing of cooperation agreements between the Institute of Automation, the Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology and the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences of CAS and the Auckland University of Technology, Massey University and Lincoln University of New Zealand respectively.

Li Jinghai Visits Taiwan

Li Jinghai, Vice President of CAS, led a delegation of 8 members to visit Taiwan from Sep. 29 to Oct. 5. During their stay in Taiwan, the CAS delegation attended the Forum on Cross-Strait Academic Exchange co-sponsored by CAS and Academia Sinica. The cooperation between the S&T circles of the two sides has been gradually strengthened in the new period of peaceful development of cross-strait relations. This visit has promoted the establishment of effective communication channels between CAS and the S&T circles of Taiwan and laid a good foundation for various forms of academic exchanges and cooperation in the future between the two sides. Li Jinghai also attended the 13th Asian Pacific Confederation of Chemical Engineering Congress sponsored by the Taiwan University and delivered an invited lecture at the congress.

Yin Hejun Meets Kokoshin

On Nov. 29, Yin Hejun, Vice President of CAS, met with Kokoshin, Vice Chairman of the United Russia Party, Vice Chairman of the S&T Committee of the State Duma and member of the Russian Academy of Sciences.