Science and Technology in China
General
Scientific and Technological Associations
Government Agencies
Research Centers
Internet Guide
News
Selected Books from the UA Libraries Collection
The People’s Republic of China is an emerging giant in 21 st century global science and engineering. According to the latest biennial Science and Engineering Indicators (nsf.gov/statistics/seind06),China is gaining in several key categories of innovation and productivity. With over $150 billion invested in 2005, China is in third place (behind the U.S. and Japan) in overall spending on research. The Chinese government has staked the country’s future on investing in the nation’s technological infrastructure, from educating students in technical fields to funding construction of large-scale R&D facilities and technology parks. China has more than doubled its share of the high-end good manufacturing sector in the last decade. Furthermore, Chinese college students are rapidly passing other nations in the numbers graduating with degrees in science and engineering. In China, currently over 900,000 students graduate with degrees in engineering each year, which is more than three times the number of U.S. graduates. Still, the country has many daunting obstacles toward maximizing its technological future, including government control over information and the defection of many of its leading scientists to the West. Greater collaboration among nations is seen as a winning solution for all parties. Joint programs with the United States will be increasingly common and sophisticated; for example, high level delegates from the U.S. American Chemical Society recently toured the Shanghai Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, which hosts more than 70 international R&D centers including General Electric, Honeywell, Eli Lilly & Co., DuPont, and Motorola.
This Web pathfinder provides links to basic information about science and engineering in China, professional and governmental organizations, and starting points for further research. It was compiled and developed by Chunhui Song, Science Library graduate intern, in consultation with Gregg Sapp, in summer 2006.
General
China SciTech Info. http://english.chinainfo.gov.cn/index.jsp
Sponsored by the Institute of Scientific & Technical Information of China in collaboration with multiple information institutions, this site provides comprehensive scientific and technological information to the public. Its stated mission is “making science and technology accessible to the public and enabling the world to know China.”
China : Science & Technology --An Annotated Directory of Internet Resources
http://newton.uor.edu/Departments&programs/AsianStudiesDept/china-science.html#life
Maintained by Robert Y. Eng, a professor of history at University of Redlands, this directory of Internet Resources covers topics on science (general), computing & information technology, mathematics, life sciences, space & military technology, and traditional medicine.
Resources on Science and Technology Institutions in China
http://www.chinatech.gov.hk/eng/introduction/index.asp?lang=eng
This online database contains information on over 7,600 China research and technology institutions in 40 fields covering engineering, information technology, computer, traditional Chinese medicine, and environmental engineering, etc.
Wanfang Data. http://www.wanfangdata.com/index.asp
Wanfang Data is a leading information content provider in China. The site provides a wide range of database resources covering journals, dissertations, conference proceedings, patents, standards, companies and their products, national scientific awards/achievements, the Chinese science citation index, Who's Who in Science and Technology in China, etc, all in PDF and HTML .
Scientific and Technological Associations
ChineseAcademy of Sciences. http://english.cas.ac.cn/Eng2003/page/home.asp
CAS is the national academy for the natural sciences of the People's Republic of China. It strives to build a scientific research base at advanced international level, for fostering and bringing up advanced S&T talents, and for promoting the development of China's high and new technology industries. Its site provides the organization’s news, management, institutes, programs, research highlights, graduate education, publications, and links to related organizations.
Chinese Academy of Engineering. http://www.cae.cn/english/index.jsp
A national academic and advisory institution in engineering and technological sciences, its missions are to initiate and conduct strategic studies, to provide consultancy services for decision-making on key issues in engineering and technological sciences, and to promote the development of engineering and technological sciences in China. Find information on its members, programs, international cooperation, publications and reports of the CAE.
China Association for Science and Technology. http://218.241.72.36:7001/indexEN.jsp
The China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization of Chinese scientific and technological workers. It serves as a bridge between the nation's scientific and technological workers and the government .
Chinese Association for Science and Technology, USA. http://www.castusa.org/
Founded in New York City as a non-political and non-profit professional organization , t h e CAST-USA is dedicated to providing liaison between the United States and China for both personnel and information exchanges, and for cooperation in science and technology, economic, trade and other areas .
Government Agencies
The Ministry of Science and Technology. http://www.most.gov.cn/eng/
The website of the Ministry of Science and Technology provides access to China scientific and technological regulations, programs, statistics, and newsletters. It has over 14 affiliated agencies with roles in specific aspects of technology management, such as agriculture, biotechnology, etc.
The National Natural Science Foundation of China. http://www.nsfc.gov.cn/e_nsfc
The National Natural Science Foundation is an institution for the management of the National Natural Science Fund, aimed at promoting and financing basic and some applied research in China. The site includes the guide to scientific and technological programs, annual reports, and project achievements.
China National Space Administration. http://202.106.142.5/main_e.asp
Provides an overview of expanding national space programs in China. Includes news, events, policy documents and official reports. Publishes the ‘Journal of Chinese Space Science.’
The U.S. Embassy Beijing Environment, Science, Technology & Health Section
http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/sandt/index.html
Created by the American Embassy in China , the website provides fact sheet on U.S.-China Environment, Science & Technology and Health Cooperation , reports and monthly newsletter s from U.S. Embassy Beijing .
China Net of International Science and Technology Cooperation
http://irdc.ia.ac.cn/cistc/english/
Sponsored by the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the website offers a brief introduction of the development of S&T in China , the scientific exchanges between China and the rest of the world, the S&T laws and regulations, as well as other relevant information.
State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine
http://www.satcm.gov.cn/english_satcm/eindex.htm
The site provides overview information about the organization, medical administration, TCM education, scientific research, Chinese herbal medicines, international exchange and cooperation, and Traditional Medicine in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
Research Centers
The Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (ISTIC)
http://www.istic.ac.cn/Eng/index_en.html
A national comprehensive information institute directly under the Ministry of Science and Technology, STIC “Mainly carries out business of collection, storage and service of scientific and technological documents, database building, information analysis and research, and information service network infrastructure construction.” STIC is also charged with the important task of building and development of Nation Engineering and Technology Library.
ChineseAcademy of Space Technology. http://www.cast.ac.cn/en/index.asp
The Chinese Academy of Space Technology is the premier research center and spacecraft development base; its website offers news, information on space technology products, research fields, and international cooperation.
NationalCenter for Gene Research. http://www.ncgr.ac.cn/indexe.htm
The website of the National Center for Gene Research provides information on its research fields, news and reports, links to databases, the center’s publications and achievements.
National Astronomical Observatories (NAOC). http://www.bao.ac.cn/english/home.asp
The site of the NAOC provides information on the NAOC’s projects, publications, headquarters, and subordinate work units . It brings together data from four major observatories to conduct astronomical observations, theoretical astronomical work and fundamental astronomy-orientated research.
ChinaAcademy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (CATCM)
http://www.catcm.ac.cn/e_catcm.htm
CATCM is the largest research institution on traditional Chinese medicine. The English version of its website provides basic information about the CATCM’s history, administration, subordinate organizations and publications.
Internet Guide
Internet Guide for Chinese Studies – Science and Medicine
http://sun.sino.uni-heidelberg.de/igcs/igsci.htm
Maintained by the Sinological Institute at Le iden University , this Internet guide for Science and Medicine in China provides links to resources on science (general), mathematics, medicine, technology /Internet. It also provides links to related journals.
Yahoo! Directory – China/Science
http://dir.yahoo.com/Regional/Countries/China/Science/
An organized listing of Web sources for various areas of basic and applied sciences in China – in
Google Directory – China/Science and Environment
http://www.google.com/Top/Regional/Asia/China/Science_and_Environment/
A listing of web sources relating to science and environment issues in China .
News
China Radio International – Sci/Tech. http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/scitech/
Owned and operated by the state, China Radio International is the only overseas
broadcaster in the People's Republic of China. Its science and technology section provides daily updated SciTech n ews in China and around the world. Also available in Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, and many other languages.
China Internet Information Center – Sci/Tech
http://www.china.org.cn/english/scitech/34496.htm
Access science & technology news, spotlights, international cooperation, people, and background information about Science and Technology in China.
People’s Daily – Science and Education. http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/sci-edu.html
The Science and Education section of the site offers major domestic news in China and international news released from the People's Daily, the most influential and authoritative newspaper in China. Updated daily.
Xinhua News – Sci & Tech. http://www.chinaview.cn/sci/index.htm
Sponsored by the Xinhua News Agency, the state and worldwide news agency in China, Xinhua News’ website releases news around the clock in seven languages. Its Sci & Tech section provides news on Space/Astronomy, biotechnology, IT, etc.
Selected Books from the UA Libraries Collection
Ancient China ’s technology and science / compiled by the Institute of the History of Natural Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. (Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 1983). Science Library / Q 127 C5 A74 1983.Compiled by the Institute of the History of Natural Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, this book records the discoveries and inventions of ancient Chinese scientists and master artisans over the centuries.
Fan, Dainian. “ Chinese studies in the history and philosophy of science and technology / edited by Fan Dainian and Robert S. Cohen ; translated by Kathleen Dugan and Jiang Mingshan. (Boston: Kluwer, 1996) Science Library / Q 175 B7312 V.179 . A collection of articles selected from the first five volumes of the Journal of Dialectics of Nature published by the Chinese Academy of Sciences between 1979 and 1985.
Feigenbaum, Evan A., “ China ’s techno-warriors : national security and strategic competition from the nuclear to the information age / Evan A. Feigenbaum.” (2003) University Library / UA 835 F44 2003. This book tells a discrete story about patterns in China’s development of strategic technology from 1949 to 2001.
Li, Guohao, 1913- . “Explorations in the history of science and technology in China : a special number of the “collections of essays on Chinese literature and history” / chief editors, Li Guohao, Zhang Mengwen, Cao Tianqin ; executive editor, Hu Daojing. ( Shanghai Chinese Classics Publishing House. 1982) Science Library / Q 127 C5 E94 1982. This book is a collection of essays on Chinese literature and history of science and technology compiled in honour of the eightieth birthday of Dr. Joseph Needham.
Needham, Joseph. “ Clerks and craftsmen in China and the west: lectures and addresses on the history of science and technology, by Joseph Needham. Based largely on collaborative work with Wang Ling, Lu Gwei-Djen and Ho Ping-Yu.” (1970) Science Library / Q 127 C5 N414.Consists of 19 specialist papers, each of which deals with a specific example of traditional Chinese scientific or technological innovation.
Needham, Joseph. “ The grand titration; science and society in East and West” (1969) Science Library / Q 127 C5 N42 1969.This volume of Joseph Needham’s essays contains many of the ideas that inspire his world-famous multi-volume Science and Civilization in China.
Needham, Joseph. “ Chinese science; explorations of an ancient tradition. Edited by Shigeru Nakayama and Nathan Sivin.” (1973) Science Library / Q 127 C5 C555. As a volume of M.I.T. East Asian Science Series, this book falls into two parts: the first part provides the reader with perspectives on the work of Joseph Needham; the second part includes a sample of the kinds of exploration of Chinese science.
Sivin, Nathan. “Medicine, philosophy and religion in ancient China : researches and reflections / Nathan Sivin. (Brookfield, VT: Variorum, 1995). Science Library / R 601 S58 1995 . This book is a valuable reference resource for those working on aspects of the history of the Chinese sciences . In this book, the author, Nathan Sivin, challenged assumptions underlying much of the work of earlier historians of Chinese science, including that of Joseph Needham.
Temple , Robert K. G. “ The genius of China : 3,000 years of science, discovery, and invention / Robert Temple ; introduced by Joseph Needham.” (1986) University Library / DS 721 T46 1986. A distillation of Joseph Needham’s Science and Civilization in China, this book includes 100 examples of Chinese ingenuity, from agriculture and medicine to warfare, featuring 190 photos and illustrations.
Yu, Q. Y. “The implementation of China’s science and technology policy / Q.Y. Yu. ; foreword by Edward E. David, Jr.” (Westport, Conn: Quorum Books, 1999) Science Library / Q 127 C5 Y8 1999. This book provides readers a view of China ’s science and technology policy, and a historical perspective on the development of science, technology, and industrial enterprises in China .
Zhong yi ji chu li lun. “The basic theories of traditional Chinese medicine / [English ed.] cheif editor, Cheng Zhaozhi ; deputy chief editor, Yao Changshou, Cheng Zhaoren ; editors, Lin Qing … [et al.].” (Wuchan China: Wuchan, 1996) Science Library / R 601 Z49513X 1996. Intended to meet the education need for traditional Chinese medicine in English, this book provides a systematic and broad insight into the TCM theory and application.
Compiled by Chunhui Song, June 2006
