Professor Bai Chunli is a distinguished physical chemist and scientist in nanotechnology. Professor Bai is the President of the Alliance of International Science Organizations (ANSO), Honorary President of the Presidium of the Academic Divisions of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) and the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). Professor Bai was the President of CAS from 2011 to 2020.
Professor Bai graduated from Peking University and holds MSc and PhD degrees from the Institute of Chemistry, CAS (ICCAS). From 1985 to 1987, he worked at the California Institute of Technology in the US as a visiting scholar, returning to the Institute of Chemistry, CAS in China in 1987 to continue his research. From 1991 to 1992, he was a visiting professor at Tohoku University in Japan. Professor Bai was appointed Vice President of CAS in 1996, Executive Vice President of CAS (full ministerial level) in 2004, and President of CAS in 2011.
Professor Bai's research areas include organic molecular crystal structure, EXAFS, molecular nanostructure, and scanning tunnelling microscopy. His earlier work was on polymers, X-ray diffraction and molecular nanostructure.
Under his leadership, his research team has developed the first computer-controlled scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) operating at ambient conditions. He was credited with developing the first low-temperature STM, the first ultrahigh vacuum-STM, the first laser atomic force microscopy and the first ballistic electron emission microscopy in China.
Professor Bai has been elected Member or Foreign Member of many Academies of sciences or engineering, including that of CAS, TWAS, the US National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Society of the UK, the European Academy of Sciences and the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Professor Bai also serves as the Chief Scientist for the National Nanotechnology Steering and Coordinating Committee, Vice Chairman of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, and Vice Chairman of the National Committee for Science and Technology Awards. Professor Bai is the Editor-in-Chief of the National Science Review and Nanoscale. He works as co-editor or advisory editorial board member of many important international academic journals in the field of chemistry and nanotechnology.
In recognition of his contributions to academia and the world, the University has resolved to confer upon him the degree of Doctor of Science honoris causa.
