Bai Chunli appeared surprised when a reporter asked him for his
reaction to being elected a foreign associate of the National
Academy of Sciences in the United States.
"I didn't tell my colleagues" at the Chinese Academy of Sciences
(CAS), of which he is the vice-president, Bai said yesterday in an
effort to downplay the honor.
Yuan Longping
(left)?and Bai Chunli
The announcement that Bai and Yuan Longping, director-general of
the China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Center in
central China's Hunan Province, would join the elite US
academy was made on Tuesday night (local time) in Washington.
Bai and Yuan are among the newly-elected 72 members and 18
foreign associates from 16 countries to be named for "one of the
highest honors in American science and engineering."
"I think the fast development of Chinese science has drawn
increased attention from the US academy," said Bai, 51, who is
considered to be at the forefront of China's molecular
nanostructure and nanotechnology studies.
Yuan, 76, is dubbed the "father of hybrid rice" for his
extraordinary contribution in developing high-yield rice and is a
household name in China.
With more than half the country's paddy fields growing his
particular hybrid rice, Yuan has much to be proud of, but to him
honors are secondary to his work.?
"I do believe this is a grand honor not only for me but also for
my colleagues who also devoted themselves to hybrid-rice
technology," Yuan told China Daily.
"Of course, we have to be level-headed, not be proud, and try to
maintain China's leading position in the field," he said.
A global meeting of the US academy members and foreign
associates is slated for next spring, Yuan said.
Yuan, who used to drive a motorcycle to his office and the
fields, said that he has now "raised his standard" to a small sedan
with low emissions because of health and safety concerns.
The mahjong lover said he had stopped playing as it was very
"time consuming."
"I now like playing Chinese chess with my grandson and
occasionally try my hand at volleyball," he said.
In 1996, Yuan set up an agricultural science and technology fund
to recognize and support those who have made achievements in
agriculture with an initial amount of US$15,000. Today, there is
more than 10 million yuan (US$1.25 million) in the fund with
company and individual donations.
(China Daily April 28, 2006)
