Chinese Academy of Sciences

Dr. Subra Suresh

Shoucheng Zhang of Stanford University, Flemming Besenbacher of Aarhus Universitet in Denmark, CAS President Bai Chunli, CMU President Subra Suresh and Christian Amatore of École Normale Supérieure

Carnegie Mellon University President Subra Suresh was among only four non-Chinese scientists recently inducted into the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

More than 1,300 members of the CAS and the Chinese Academy of Engineering were on hand when Dr. Suresh was inducted into the academy at a symposium held in Beijing on June 8.

Dr. Suresh was recognized for his scientific contributions in materials science and engineering, including his work connecting nanomechanical cell structure to disease states. He also was honored for his leadership in building the worldwide scientific and engineering research dialogue through the Global Research Council, which he helped to found while director of the U.S. National Science Foundation. The council held its annual meeting in Beijing in May 2014, which was jointly hosted by the CAS, the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

He is CMU's second faculty member to be inducted into the CAS. The late Herbert Simon, a Nobel laureate, was elected to it in 1994.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and a number of top Chinese leaders attended and spoke at the CAS opening ceremony. Addressing the International Conference on Engineering Science and Technology in Beijing the week before the CAS assembly, Xi described engineering as a force to change the world and help China achieve fast social and economic progress.

Premier Li addressed the GRC meeting attendees and said that the future of science needs to be shaped jointly be the international community. "Scientists have nationality but science knows no national border," he said.

Bai Chunli, president of CAS and the Academic Divisions of CAS, issued the certificates to President Suresh; Professor Christian Amatore of École Normale Supérieure (ENS) of France; Professor Flemming Besenbacher of Aarhus Universitet in Denmark; and Professor Shoucheng Zhang of Stanford University.

"Professor Subra Suresh is not only an excellent scientist, being a fellow of three most distinguished U.S. academies, but also an activist in promoting and advancing global science and international scientific cooperation," Bai said. "He is a person who not only has good ideas on major issues, but one who puts them into practice."

Nine foreign scientists from six countries were elected last year as members of CAS, expanding the academy's foreign membership to 72. There are 750 Chinese members.

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