The Establishment and Reconstruction of the Academician System in China

This book is the first monograph to study the processes of establishing and reconstructing the academician system, and the landmark events in the history of science and technology in 20th century China. It also provides new insights to help us understand the process of scientific institutionalization in modern China. Drawing on detailed archive records, it discusses the process of the establishment of the Academia Sinica's academician system in the Republic of China, as well as the unique and tortuous transformation process from members of the Academic Divisions(学部委员)to academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(中国科学院)in the People's Republic of China. These play an important part of China's modernization process, and reflect scientific institutionalization in China. The book also highlights the fact that under the leadership of the government, the academic elite became participants in the construction of national academic system after the founding of the People's Republic of China. Foreword 6 Acknowledgments 9 Introduction 11 Contents 20 About the Author 23 Abbreviations 24 List of Figures 25 List of Tables 27 1 The Chinese Academic Circle in the Era of Academician System Prevailing in the West 29 1.1 The Birth and Rise of the Western Academician System 29 1.2 The Development of China's Scientific Institutionalization Process and the Establishment of Academia Sinica 31 1.3 The Rise of Chinese Academia and the Ideal of Academic Independence 36 1.4 Summary 44 2 Establishment of the Council of Academia Sinica and Election of Elected Council Members 45 2.1 Preparations and Establishment of the Council 45 2.2 Preparations for the Election of Elected Members of the Second Council 52 2.3 Operation Process of Election: From Primary Election to Final Election 56 2.4 Summary 62 3 The Council Structured the Academician System and Relevant Regulations 64 3.1 The Brewing of the Academician System and the Beginning of Legislation 64 3.2 The Legislation of Election Law: The Formulation of Regulations for the Election of Members 77 3.3 The Legislation of Assembly: The Formulation of Regulations for the General Assembly of Members 86 3.4 Summary 90 4 How the First Batch of Member Candidates Were Nominated and Their Qualification Examinations 92 4.1 Formulating a Member Candidates Reference List 92 4.2 Twists and Turns During the Official Nomination 94 4.3 The Preliminary Examinations of Nominees by the PCE 109 4.4 The Qualificaton Examinations of Member Candidates by the Council 114 4.5 Summary 122 5 From the Response to the Official List of Member Candidates to the Official Election 124 5.1 Reactions from Bo Shang, Wang Hefu, Yuan Hanqing and Others 124 5.2 Response from Fu Ssu-Nien 128 5.3 Official Election of the First Batch of Members 139 5.4 Summary 158 6 The First General Assembly of Members of Academia Sinica 160 6.1 From the Members’ Symposium to the Subcommittee's Meeting 161 6.2 The Implementation of Member Authority: The Election of the Third Council Members 173 6.3 Other Agendas and Resolutions of the Assembly 185 6.4 The Implementation of the Resolution After the Assembly and the Scattering of the Members 195 6.5 Summary 203 7 From the Abolition of Academician System to the Establishment of the Membership System of Academic Divisions 205 7.1 Abandonment of Academician System of Academia Sinica and System Selection of the CAS 206 7.2 Preparations and Establishment of Academic Divisions and the Membership System 215 7.3 Summary 239 8 The Expansion of the Members of Academic Divisions of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Before and After the Cultural Revolution 241 8.1 The 1957 Supplement of Members of the Academic Divisions 241 8.2 Co-optation of Academic Division Members in 1980 267 8.3 Summary 281 9 Preparation and Suspension of Academician System Between 1980 and 1981 283 9.1 Preparatory Work and Formulation of Academician Regulations 283 9.2 From Reporting the “Request for Instructions” to the Emergence of Differences 297 9.3 The Fourth General Assembly of the CASAD Members and the Plan to Establish the Academician System Ran Aground 302 9.4 Summary 308 10 The Establishment of the Academician System in New China 311 10.1 From Academic Division Members to CAS Members: The Membership System Established by the CAS 311 10.2 The Preparations and Establishment of the CAE and Its Membership System 335 10.3 The Efforts of the CASS to Establish a Membership System 370 10.4 Summary 383 Conclusion 385 Glossary 393 Select Bibliography 414 Index 424 Front Matter ....Pages i-xxxii The Chinese Academic Circle in the Era of Academician System Prevailing in the West (Jinhai Guo)....Pages 1-16 Establishment of the Council of Academia Sinica and Election of Elected Council Members (Jinhai Guo)....Pages 17-35 The Council Structured the Academician System and Relevant Regulations (Jinhai Guo)....Pages 37-64 How the First Batch of Member Candidates Were Nominated and Their Qualification Examinations (Jinhai Guo)....Pages 65-96 From the Response to the Official List of Member Candidates to the Official Election (Jinhai Guo)....Pages 97-132 The First General Assembly of Members of Academia Sinica (Jinhai Guo)....Pages 133-177 From the Abolition of Academician System to the Establishment of the Membership System of Academic Divisions (Jinhai Guo)....Pages 179-214 The Expansion of the Members of Academic Divisions of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Before and After the Cultural Revolution (Jinhai Guo)....Pages 215-256 Preparation and Suspension of Academician System Between 1980 and 1981 (Jinhai Guo)....Pages 257-284 The Establishment of the Academician System in New China (Jinhai Guo)....Pages 285-358 Back Matter ....Pages 359-403 This book is the first monograph to study the processes of establishing and reconstructing the academician system, and the landmark events in the history of science and technology in 20th century China. It also provides new insights to help us understand the process of scientific institutionalization in modern China. Drawing on detailed archive records, it discusses the process of the establishment of the Academia Sinica's academician system in the Republic of China, as well as the unique and tortuous transformation process from members of the Academic Divisions to academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in the People's Republic of China. These play an important part of China's modernization process, and reflect scientific institutionalization in China. The book also highlights the fact that under the leadership of the government, the academic elite became participants in the construction of national academic system after the founding of the People's Republic of China