The establishment of Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development (CASTED) was an important decision made by Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) in its efforts to further transform the government functions, and to improve the capability of macro-management and decision making. 

 We will never forget that Mr. Deng Xiaoping personally inscribed the name for CASTED’s predecessor, National Research Center for Science and Technology for Development (NRCSTD), when it was set up in 1982, This fully demonstrated that the older generation of leaders attached great importance to the research on China’s science and technology (S & T) strategies for development.

 We will never forget the previous leaders of the State Science and Technology Commission (SSTC) and then MOST, including Fang Yi, Song Jian, Zhu Lilan, and Xu Guanhua, and superiors of NRCSTD, such as Deng Nan and Li Xueyong. They have been consistently supported NRCSTD throughout its development. Nor will we forget the former CASTED leaders, including Wu Mingyu, Hu Ping, Kong Deyong, Liu Ji and Ye Dan, for the solid foundation and excellent team they have left.

 We will never forget contributions made by all the staff that made NRCSTD one of the most important institutes in China on S & T development strategy and policy studies. Their long-lasting dedication has also laid an excellent starting point for the future development of CASTED.

 With an unprecedented atmosphere for S & T development in our country, CASTED has gained a new opportunity to better provide strategic thinking and decision-making consultation.

 Firstly, CASTED will follow the guidelines of serving the country, S & T development and the mainstream work of MOST. Serving the country means that all the research conducted by CASTED should stand in the national interest. Serving S & T development means that CASTED should pay attention to the development strategies and policies of S & T, and issues that people concerned. Serving the mainstream work of MOST, means that CASTED should focus on the concerns of the Ministry, making timely and rapid suggestions in a scientific and precise manner.

 Secondly, when proposing projects, CASTED has to meet national demands and government targets. This is not only the most important principle guiding the research of CASTED, but also the requirement set by MOST on CASTED. At present, China’s S & T stays in a critical developing period with various new situations and problems. Therefore, the government must rely on a professional institution, for setting strategies and making decisions. With the strategic research in advance, we can provide better suggestions for the national process of strategic decision-making.

 Thirdly, CASTED will set up a new mechanism benefiting not only discipline development but also mission accomplishment. By reforming the employment system, CASTED will attract strategy research talents home and abroad, and recruit them openly, competitively and flexibly with contracts. Effectively mobilizing the research resources of S & T strategies, CASTED will establish an open and cooperative research mechanism featuring “micro cores and macro networks”.

 Fourthly, CASTED will continue to integrate theoretical research with in-depth empirical studies. Being a researcher of CASTED requires not only solid theoretical knowledge, but also fieldwork research experiences. The researchers should follow the reality, rather than books or their superiors. They should also work with both passion and rationality, to make CASTED a think tank for national S & T development.

 Finally, CASTED will maintain its sound atmosphere, which is free and disciplined. CASTED will also keep its excellent traditions, fully respecting different academic opinions, and fully tolerating different academic thoughts, so as to make itself a magnet and the platform of different points of views for S & T development.

Wan Gang

Minister of Science and Technology of China

President of Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development