CAE Presidency Transfer

Zhou Ji (DING LIN)	Xu Kuangdi (RAO AIMIN)

Zhou Ji, former Minister of Education, was elected president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) on June 11. He replaces Xu Kuangdi.

Zhou, 64, became an academician at the CAE in 1999. He holds a PhD in mechanical engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Zhou spent much of his early career at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, and became its president in 1997. He joined the public service in 1999 as director of the Hubei Provincial Department of Science and Technology. After serving for a short period as mayor of Wuhan, Zhou was appointed vice minister of education in April 2002 and minister in March 2003. He remained in the ministerial position until October 2009, when he was transferred to the CAE as its deputy Party chief.

Zhou is the second CAE academician to serve as a mayor in China. His predecessor in CAE, Xu, was the first. Xu was mayor of Shanghai from 1995 to 2001.

The 73-year-old Xu is a renowned expert in metallurgy. After graduating from the Beijing Institute of Iron and Steel Engineering, he embarked on a 30-year teaching career until 1989. He was admitted to the CAE in 1995 and was elected its president in 2002.

Xu has received two national awards for designing a stainless steel pipe for aerial purposes and improving the quality of steel used in military bearings.

Because of his outstanding professional achievements and international recognition, Xu was elected as foreign member of the British Royal Academy of Engineering, the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Established as a think tank in 1994, the CAE advises the government and industry on key scientific and technological issues. It now has 751 academician members, including 36 foreigners.

Hardworking Coach

(JIANG KEHONG)

Head coach Wang Baoquan led the Chinese women's volleyball team to its first overseas competition title following his appointment on June 13, when his players beat the U.S. team 3-1 in the final of the 26th edition of the Montreux Volley Masters in Switzerland.

Wang replaced Cai Bin as head coach of the Chinese team in March. Cai stepped down because of his failure to reverse the downtrend of the Chinese team presently aiming for the Olympic title in London in 2012.

Wang, 49, is famous for his strict, rigorous training. He has set a goal of guiding China into the top four in the World Championships in Japan in October and winning the gold medal at the Guangzhou Asian Games in November. The latest win in Switzerland shows Wang is making progress in rebuilding the team and instilling a speedy and flexible attacking playing style.

Wang was a member of the Chinese national team from 1989 to 1991. After retiring from competition in 1992 he became involved in coaching. From 1996 to 2001, he was an assistant coach of the Chinese women's national team. During his club coaching career in the following years, Wang took the Tianjin Club to clinching the Chinese women's league champions title in seven of eight years.

"As the destinies of countries are interconnected in this world, we need to work together like passengers in the same boat to overcome the impact of the crisis, strive to build a global environment that is more fair and equitable, and achieve as quickly as possible recovery and inclusive growth through decent work."

Wang Xiaochu, Vice Minister of Human Resources and Social Security, at a high-level session of the 99th International Labor Conference from June 1 to 18 focusing on global employment issues following the economic crisis

"In developing economic relations with Africa, China has always had a concept of 'growth.' This is a deliberate and urgent issue in China, and it is even more so for African countries."

Philip Idro, former Ugandans Ambassador to China. Idro has participated in an African-led research project, China in Africa, which shows China's presence is conducive to Africa's economic and social transformation

"I cannot say I have achieved something great, but at least I have made progress."

The 11th Panchen Lama, talking to students at the University of Tibet. The 20-year-old Tibetan Buddhism leader was enthroned as the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama in 1995 at the age of six

"I can't think of any examples where you can extract the kind of minerals we are talking about in Afghanistan in the middle of a major military campaign. They not only don't have the infrastructure--road, rail and water--but also they don't have the basic laws and regulations that will attract investment."

Stephanie Sanok, senior research fellow in the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in the United States, on the discovery of nearly $1 trillion in untapped mineral deposits in Afghanistan, far beyond any previously known reserves

"What do I enjoy? I enjoy the gun."

Awil Salah Osman, a 12-year-old soldier who works for the U.S.-backed Transitional Federal Government in Somalia, on what he takes pleasure in