Wang Xuan, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and a well-known computer application specialist, was awarded the State Preeminent Science and Technology Award 2001 together with five million yuan (US$ 600 thousand) by Chinese President Jiang Zemin in Beijing on February 1, 2002.
Wang Xuan, 65, is mainly involved in research into computer processing of words, graphics and images. Since 1975, he has been in charge of the research and development of laser typesetting systems in the Chinese language and of electronic publishing systems. Surpassing Japan's second-generation optical designation and the third-generation CRT (cathode-ray tube) designation, the fourth-generation laser typesetting system he invented has not yet come onto the market in other countries.
Wang was born in February 1937 in Shanghai and graduated from the Department of Mathematics and Mechanics at Peking University in 1958. He has devoted himself to computer sciences education and research ever since.
From 1975, he was in charge of the research and development of the Chinese language laser typesetting system and electronic publishing system. Since 1984, he has been a professor at Peking University, and the director of the Institute of Computer Science and Technology at Peking University.
With regard to the characteristics and difficulties of publishing Chinese characters, he invented the high efficiency compression and restoration method. He also took the lead in the designing of a special chip for the system. He was also the first to use control information (parameters) to describe the characteristics of breadth, which he has patented in Europe and China.
The application and industrialization of these inventions ended China's old method of printing which has been used for hundreds of years. It also helped develop China's newspaper, printing and publishing industry.
In addition Wang worked on a Chinese language newspaper editing sand publishing system using large computer terminals, a Chinese language laser typesetting system for color printing, tele-transmission publishing, and a management system for news collection and editing. These technologies can compete with the best in the world.
The rapid expansion and application of Wang's computer technology inside and outside the country has made the Chinese newspaper industry as advanced as any worldwide.
In the early 1980s, Wang started the process of industrializing his life's work. He has also explored a marketing approach combining production, education and research. Currently, Chinese language laser typesetting technology occupies 99 percent of the domestic newspaper industry market and 90 percent of the domestic book (white and black) publishing market.
He was elected an academician of CAS in 1992 and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering in 1994. In 1995, he became director of the Founder R&D center and chairman of the board of the Founder (Holding) Ltd.
(China.org.cn February 7, 2002)
