President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Lu Yongxiang announced in Beijing Monday that 58 outstanding scientists have been elected as CAS academicians, the top honor for a Chinese scientist.

This brings the number of CAS academicians to 688 with an average age of 72.1.

The average age of the newly elected is 58.86, 1.56 year younger than the figure of the last election in 2001.

Among the newly elected, the oldest is 75, and the youngest is 37. Twenty-eight of them, or 48.28 percent of the total, are younger than 60.

 Among the new academicians, 10 are mathematicians or physicists,10 are chemists, 11 are biologists, 10 are geologists and 17 are technological scientists.

At a press conference organized by CAS on Monday, Lu, who himself is a CAS academician, said young scientists were given more attention during this election and the election covered broader fields including some new areas or subjects where no academicians had majored in previously.

Chen Yixuan, CAS vice-president, said an age limit was set at this election and candidates were required to be under the age of 64, unless the person was recommended by at least six academicians.Among the six recommendations, at least four should come from the same academic division as the candidate, Chen added.

CAS academician is the highest national academic title in Science and Technology and a lifelong honor. New members are added every two years, with a quota of no more than 60 for each election.

(Xinhua News Agency November 25, 2003)