Academies shift focus to younger scholars

China's top science and engineering bodies aim to select younger academicians and cut administrative interference among scholars in 2015.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering began to select new academicians on Jan 1, the first elections since the academician regulation reforms.

The two academies released detailed amended regulations on academician selection and management in December, lowering the age of candidacy and forbidding the nomination of civil workers with administrative titles higher than director level.