Leading academies get 194 new members

Two prestigious research institutions welcome 45 foreign experts to their ranks

A total of 194 new academicians from home and abroad were named on Thursday by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Academician is the highest academic title in China for science workers, and the prestigious list is updated every two years.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences added 65 new members from China, including five women. The average age of the new domestic members is 57－the youngest is 45 and oldest 68.

The science academy added 25 members from 11 foreign countries. Among them are 11 scientists from the United States, three from the United Kingdom, two each from Germany and Israel, and one each from Brazil, Russia, France, Canada and Sweden.

South Korea and Switzerland each have one scientist granted the title this year. It was the first time for scientists from those two countries to join the highest rank of the academy, which now includes a total of 860 Chinese and 129 overseas academicians.

Piao Shilong, the youngest academician to join the academy and a professor of ecology at Peking University, is a noted expert who has produced innovative works on understanding the carbon cycle of terrestrial ecosystems, according to the university.

Since 2017, Piao has been listed multiple times as one of the most cited researchers in the world by global analytical firm Clarivate Analytics.

The Chinese Academy of Engineering welcomed 84 new members from China and 20 from overseas this year, bringing its membership to 971 academicians from China and 111 from other countries.

The average age of the newly added Chinese members is 58, with the youngest being 51 and oldest 69. Six female engineers were granted the honor this year.

The engineering academy said in a statement that its new members were selected for their contributions to major projects and key strategic technologies, ranging from spaceflight to nuclear physics.

Another characteristic of this class of academician is a greater representation of engineers from the northeastern and western parts of China, where some of China's old industrial bases are located.

A third feature is the inclusion of highly influential foreign experts, including Canadian computer engineer Luo Zhiquan and Turkish energy expert Fatih Birol, who is also the executive director of the International Energy Agency.

The Chinese Academy of Engineering said it will encourage its domestic academicians to be loyal, capable, focused and determined scholars who can cultivate more world-class talent and innovations.