Chinese Academy of Engineering recruits 54 academics in 2011

The Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), one of China's leading academic organs, has recruited a total of 54 new members this year in order to capitalize on available talent. Among the 54 academics newly recruited are six foreign scholars -- four from the United States, one from Japan and one from Australia -- said the CAE's vice president Xu Rigan on Thursday. The dilatation has taken the CAE's total number of members to 783, said Xu, adding that it would help to extend the range of subjects covered by the organization and promote the development of the nation's engineering technology. The Division of Mechanical and Vehicle Engineering took in eight of the 54, the most of the CAE's nine divisions. These academics have an average age of 56.7 years old, with 38, or 70.4 percent, of them under 60, which indicates a trend for younger talents joining the CAE, Xu said. More than 46 percent of them were selected from higher-learning institutions, while 38.9 percent had worked in various research organs. As one of China's most important think tanks, the CAE usually recruits members every two years. It took in 33 and 48 academics respectively in 2007 and in 2009.