International Expert Assessment for “One-Three-Five” Overall Scheme of IOCAS Took Place in Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences  

From Dec.8^th to 10^th, 11 experts from the United States, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong and Mainland China performed assessment on “One-Three-Five” Overall Scheme of Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. As the Co-Chairs, Prof. John Gunn, Chief Executive Officer of Australian Institute of Marine Science and QIN Dahe, academician and dean of Academic Board of CAS organized the experts to do the assessment in IOCAS. 

At the preparatory meeting on Dec. 8^th, PAN Xiaofeng, Director of Bureau of Planning & Strategy, CAS gave an introduction of all the experts and awarded letters of appointment on behalf of DING Zhongli, Vice president of CAS. SHI Bing, head of Division of Management Innovation and Evaluation, Bureau of Planning and Strategy, CAS, gave an introduction of the background, content and demands of the assessment. During the symposium, the experts listened to the status report of Prof. SUN song, director of the institute, eight group leader reports on “Three Breakthroughs” and “Five Key Potential Directions” and eight PI reports. 

The experts made on-site visit to laboratories and large research platforms and listened to the introductions of research ships and shore-based platforms. After then, they had discussions with professors, young scientists and graduates of IOCAS respectively divided by three areas---marine biology and ecology, geological oceanography and environmental corrosion and physical oceanography. In the end, the experts had communications and discussions with leaders of the institute on development objectives, academic communications, young scientists’ cultivation, graduate education, research group cooperation, etc. 

On the morning of Dec. 10^th, the experts gave an initial opinion of the assessment to leaders of CAS and of the institute after three hours’ discussions. Prof. DING Zhongli, vice president of CAS, attended the feedback meeting which was hosted by SHI Bing, head of Division of Management Innovation and Evaluation, Bureau of Planning and Strategy, CAS. The experts think that IOCAS is a world-class institute and its leaders have world vision and capability to lead a comprehensive research institute. With excellent strategic planning in both basic and applied scope, the “One-Three-Five” Overall Scheme has very precise location. The institute has made rapid development in “Three Breakthroughs” and “Five Key Potential Directions” and it is leading the world in some areas. It’s investment in infrastructure, such as research ships and shore-based platforms, has made it a world-class institute in oceanology. Meanwhile, the experts suggested that the institute strengthen technology to support academic groups, encourage continuous and efficient international cooperation and strengthen the cultivation of young scientists and graduates, and they gave constructive ideas and suggestions on research organization, results application and dealing with future development directions and challenges. Prof. DING Zhongli expressed thanks to the experts, gave introductions of the “Four First” Plan and the classified reform of institutes of CAS and said that CAS would gave full support to IOCAS’s development of a world-class institute of Oceanology.