The Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) announced on Tuesday that it will vote in up to 60 technologists and engineers, both Chinese and foreign, as additional CAE academicians for 2005.

Shen Guofang, vice CAE president, said at a news briefing in Beijing that the selection procedure has been under way since the beginning of this year.

The CAE will add a new batch of academicians every two years, the highest acknowledgement by the engineering community for engineers in China.

Almost all candidates will be selected from people born after June 30, 1935, Shen said, adding that those older than that have to be recommended by at least six academicians who know their work well.

The CAE will publicize the backgrounds of all eligible candidates on its website after the application deadline of April 30.

Established in 1994, the CAE now has 658 academicians covering eight special areas: machine-building and delivery; information and electronic engineering; chemical, metallurgic and material engineering; energy and mining engineering; civil engineering, water conservancy and architecture engineering; agriculture, light industry and textiles and environmental engineering; medical and health engineering; and engineering project management.

(Xinhua News Agency January 5, 2005)