Already a topic of constant debate, China's system of academia will come under the spotlight again in mid December when the list of those conferred with the title of academician is announced, according to a report by Southern Weekend.
"The current selection process means 'one test can determine your whole life'. This means that academics and society at large have a mistaken concept of academia," Wang Pinxian, an ocean physicist and academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), said.
According to Zhou Guangzhao, chairman of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), and former president of the CAS, many of today's academicians are over 70 or 80 years old and have few or no achievements to their names after they were named academicians. Even if some academicians seem to have made some achievements, they are quite often results achieved with the help of their students.
Zhou also strongly criticized erecting statues and houses to honor academics. "This is going too far, and is not conducive to the development of young scientists. In academic circles, there should be no awareness of authority or hierarchy. Only on an equal footing can we foster real talents and realize innovations in science and technology," Zhou said.
Zhou is lobbying for a reform of the system of academia, and has urged other academics, particularly those who attended the Academician Conference in Shanghai on November 16, to join forces with him.
Zou Chenglu, another CAS academic agreed: "Currently, the standards of newly elected academicians are not as high as those selected in previous years, even if outstanding individuals are up for selection. Average standards are dropping every year."
Zou added: "The time in between selections is too short. I have suggested changing it to once every three years, but my suggestion wasn't accepted although many people agree with me."
According to Zou, one of the reasons why standards are dropping is corruption. He cited examples of academics practically buying their titles through extensive marketing and promotion. Zou added that although such instances were not common, they have done much damage in tainting the image of China's academia.
Zou noted that while the selection process is generally fair, it is "not absolutely fair". "Some people are named academician not necessarily because of their scientific or academic achievements, but because of their activities 'behind the scenes'," Zou said.
Taking the CAS as an example, its Academician Regulations clearly stipulate that the election of new academician must include the following phases: first, a recommendation from the relevant departments within the CAS; second, an evaluation by fellow academics specialized in different disciplines; and finally, voting.
Zou said that, according to the regulations, academicians who take part in the vote should try to avoid contact with the candidates. "However, what we see now is political maneuvering to win votes."
Zou added: "Some organizations organize academic activities, inviting academicians to speak, providing accommodation, and paying them handsome fees, all of which amounts to bribery."
"I wrote an article suggesting that all candidate information be made available online so that anyone who is interested can look at it. However, this was not accepted by the CAS. They told me they might consider it for next round of selections," Zou said.
China's world competitiveness ranking in the fields of science and technology was 13 in 1997, but dropped to 29 in 2003. In addition, some of China's major awards including the national technology invention award and the national natural science award have been vacant for many years. This is according to an academic who asked not to be named. He pointed out: "After some scholars become academicians, they become 'academic hegemony'. Their words become the gospel truth, which smothers the innovation of younger academics."
The CAS has 687 academicians, and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) has 654 academicians, all of whom are on lifelong tenures.
Most academicians enjoy three allowances from the state, the province or municipality and organizations where they come from.
"In Beijing, an academician's allowance is only 1,000 yuan (US$124) per month. But in other places, especially in remote provinces with few academicians, they will enjoy more privileges," Zou said.
An academician in east China's Shandong Province disclosed that after he was elected academician, he got awards from his organization, his city as well as the province. His annual income is over one million yuan.
"The living conditions of academicians have improved a great deal," Professor Gu Haibing said. Prof Gu has been researching the system of academia for many years. He cited the example of car giving ceremony in west China where 12 academics were presented with a Buick each.
The title of academician is the highest that can be attained in the academic circle. But with the title comes a host of public relations obligations such as attending awards ceremonies and seminars. The time they actually spend on scientific research is scant, affecting the quality of their scientific achievements.
In addition to bribery and corruption, the CAS and the CAE have to deal with complaints leveled against their academics, which range from research ownership disputes to plagiarism.
In a bid to control the situation, Xu Kuangdi, president of the CAE, put together a "List of Don'ts" that he hopes academics can adhere to. The list includes:
· Don't take part in every manner of social activity;
· Don't take the credit for someone else's work;
· Don't take part in business promotion activities; and
· Don't take part in any activity that has no real basis in science.
Even if academics do adhere to the above rules of self-discipline, the fact remains that China's system of academia is in need of reform.
(China.org.cn by Wang Qian, December 12, 2005)
