News Brief: Chinese Academy of Sciences Honors Carnegie Mellon President Subra Suresh as Newly Elected Foreign Member-Carnegie Mellon News - Carnegie Mellon University
: Abby Simmons / 412-268-4290 / abbysimmons [a] cmu (p) edu
PITTSBURGH—Carnegie Mellon University President Subra Sures h was among four non-Chinese scientists honored for induction into the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) at a symposium in Beijing on June 8.
More than 1,300 members of the CAS and the Chinese Academy of Engineering were on hand when Bai Chunli, president of CAS and the Academic Divisions of CAS, issued membership 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.
President 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.
He is CMU’s second faculty member to be recognized with China’s highest honor for science and technology. The late Herbert Simon was elected to the CAS in 1994.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and a number of top Chinese leaders attended and spoke at the 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.
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.
