Earlier this year, former director of the Kunming Institute of Zoology (KIZ) and now Vice President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Zhang Yaping, announced that CAS has begun work establishing overseas branches. The first comprehensive research center is being built in Kenya, with other institutions planned for central and southeastern Asia as well as Latin America, adding to CAS’ 100 + institutes currently in China.

CAS’ international expansion comes at a booming time for Chinese Science. In the last decade China has risen to become the number two worldwide producer of scientific research, publishing some 200,000+ articles a year, accounting for almost 15% or global research output.  Last year alone, CAS saw an impressive 13% growth in high-level publications. Paired with an impressive Research and Development Budget exceeding 1 trillion Yuan, China is forging ahead in its race to become a global center of innovation.

Zhang hopes that CAS institutes abroad will continue to enhance to global image of Chinese Science, aiding China in its goals of fostering innovation and scientific development. To support this push forward, Zhang has stated that CAS will be furthering its recruitment of top-level foreign scientists and deepening its international scientific cooperation ventures.

KIZ has seen similar growth in recent, boasting institutional collaborations and exchanges throughout North and South America, Africa, Europe, and across Asia, while vesting more than 30% of its renovation budget since 2011 toward recruiting top talent from China and abroad.