You can buy an "academician" hat for only 400,000?
Believe it or not, this is indeed a super topic in academic circles lately.
Recently, Tian, a post-90s doctor in Xi'an, was "elected as an academician of the European Academy of Natural Sciences", which aroused widespread concern in the society. Why does the gold content of academicians attract public attention? In many countries and regions, "academician" is one of the highest honors a scientist, engineer or scholar receives in his or her field of expertise. On the mainland, "academicians" mainly refer to academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, who represent the top force in China's academic and scientific research circles, and are the wealth of the country and the pride of the people.
Compared with the mainland, foreign academicians actually have the meaning of membership of academic organizations, not only more types, but also different election systems, and even some fishers in troubled waters swagger for profit. However, due to the uniform translation of "academician", it is usually regarded as the highest achievement in the field of academic research in the domestic context.
In the face of the extravagant boasting of some institutions, sometimes even some senior Chinese and foreign scholars find it difficult to discern its gold content.
今年上半年,一条条标注"喜报""喜讯""祝贺xx入选xx院士"的新闻在学术圈屡屡刷屏,其中"欧洲自然科学院"(European Academy of Sciences)院士名单更是频频更新。
The academy claims that "there are more than 1,700 academicians, most of whom are selected or recommended by the academies of sciences in various European countries, representing the scientific elite and academic authorities of the European natural science community". But if you search for "Academician of the European Academy of Natural Sciences" in Baidu, you will find that both hands will not be able to count the new "academicians" added this year. It is estimated that between May 2022 and April 2024, the number of members of the European Academy of Natural Sciences increased by 300%. This is obviously unusual compared to the speed and number of new members elected by other academic organizations, and it also reduces the "authority" they advertise.
Recently, an article entitled "Spend 400,000 to buy an academician of the European Academy of Natural Sciences? The article exposes the cat behind it. It turned out that a number of professors had disclosed that they had received invitations to run for the "European Academy of Natural Sciences", claiming that they could be co-opted by paying a service fee of 40-1 million yuan, and a Qingdao intellectual property agency even claimed that a fee of 180,000 yuan would guarantee that they would pass the relevant process and obtain the title of academician of the European Academy of Natural Sciences. Joe also discovered that the organization was not on the list of members of the All-European Academy of Sciences (ALLEA).
After the incident was exposed, major mainstream media followed up and reported on it, putting the European Academy of Natural Sciences on the cusp.
截自European Academy of Sciences官网
This oolong finally came to an end. On May 8, the WeChat public account named "Chinese Talent Technology Branch of the European Academy of Natural Sciences" was cancelled, and the page showed that "the public account has entered the self-cancellation freeze period, and the function cannot be used", which seems to indirectly confirm many doubts and speculations about it from the outside world.
套路如出一辙，nature下场打假
The European Academy of Natural Sciences is full of controversy, so who is the real authoritative and influential European academic organization?
The first to bear the brunt of this should be the European Academy of Sciences (Academia Europaea, sometimes translated as the European Academy of Humanities and Natural Sciences).
Among the five statutory bodies, the European Academy of Sciences is the only scientific academy representing the European Union, and it is currently recognized as one of the scientific organizations with the highest academic status in Europe. Receiving the title of "Academician of the European Academy of Sciences" is the highest honorary title in the academic career of Europeans, representing the highest scientific level and academic status in the European humanities and natural sciences. What's more, the pass rate of its foreign academicians does not exceed 5%.
The academy currently has more than 5,500 members, including nearly 90 Nobel laureates, and more than 40 Chinese scientists, including Zheng Jialin, dean of the medical school of Tongji University in mainland China, and Zhou Zhihua, an artificial intelligence expert and professor at Nanjing University, are all members of the European Academy of Sciences.
The Academy of Sciences in Europe is the official advisor of the European Union, and every year when the results of the elections are announced, many organizations celebrate them as a great honour. Whether it is from the founding institution or the members of the organization, they can clearly distinguish who is the "phoenix" and who is the "pheasant".
Some netizens compared the European Academy of Sciences to "Li Kui" and the European Academy of Natural Sciences to "Li Ghost", thinking that the European Academy of Natural Sciences has been touching the European Academy of Sciences, because the two organizations have a certain similarity in terms of name. In fact, a similar scam occurred as early as 2002, when an organization called the European Academy of Sciences lured scholars to pay to become its members, and it also attracted the official arrest of nature.
According to the 2022 article "European Academy of Sciences" published on nature's website, "researchers around the world received letters congratulating them on their election to the European Academy of Sciences and asking for a $115 registration fee", which is exactly the same as in the recent "400,000 to buy academicians".
Screenshot from nature's official website
Some of the "invited" scholars didn't notice anything at first. "I mentioned it to the school's principal, and he was excited," said Clark, a scholar who joined the group, and the group promised to invite him to the upcoming international computer science conference in Krakow, Poland, but it didn't happen.
Upon investigation, Nature was unable to find any records of the organization's publications, projects, or conferences, nor could it confirm the scientific credentials of the people behind them. Peter Collins, then director of science policy at the Royal Society, described it this way: "The existence of this institution is news to us".
In 2019, the European Academy of Sciences also "touched" three scholars in China, which were subsequently reported as the Academia Europaea. It can be seen that in view of the various so-called "academies of sciences" and "academicians," scholars still need to heighten their vigilance and strengthen their distinction, so as not to end up with the result of being both "famous" and "financial."
In addition to the two controversial organizations mentioned above, there is also a tendency for confusion among some colleges or societies with similar names. The European Academy of Sciences' Wikipedia specifically states "Do not confuse the European Academy of Sciences and Arts".
In fact, such "trading" is not uncommon in the academic world, and the root cause is that the public attaches too much importance to "hats". It has to be said that there are countless names of various academic organizations, and before scholars join the membership of such foreign scientific organizations, they must investigate the background of the organization, do not fall into the academic puddle by mistake, and do not indulge in these "fake tricks".
Take stock of the "academicians" who are often mentioned
In order to avoid scholars being deceived repeatedly, Xiao Qiao summarized the common academic organizations that elect "academicians" in several major overseas countries, welcome to add in the comments~!
United States:
1.美国国家科学院（National Academy of Sciences，简称NAS）
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, non-profit society of distinguished scholars. The organization was established by an Act of Congress signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 to provide independent, objective advice to the nation on matters related to science and technology. The Academy is committed to advancing science in the United States, and its members are active contributors to the international scientific community. Approximately 500 current and late NAS members have won Nobel Prizes.
2.美国国家工程院（The National Academy of Engineering，简称NAE）
Founded in 1964, the National Academy of Engineering is a private, independent, not-for-profit institution that provides engineering leadership services to the nation. The NAE operates under the same act of Congress that established the National Academy of Sciences, which was signed by President Lincoln in 1863. The mission of the National Academy of Engineering is to promote the welfare and prosperity of the nation by providing independent advice on issues involving engineering and technology, promoting a vibrant engineering profession, and public appreciation of engineering.
3.美国医学与生物工程院（the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering，简称AIMBE）
AIMBE fellows represent the top 2% of medical and biological engineers. They include the most accomplished medical and bioengineers in academia, industry, education, clinical practice, and government. Three AIMBE Fellows have been awarded the Nobel Prize, 12 AIMBE Fellows have been awarded the Presidential Medal of Science, 12 AIMBE Fellows have been awarded the Presidential Medal for Technology and Innovation, 221 AIMBE Fellows are NAE members, 113 AIMBE Fellows are NAM members, and 48 AIMBE Fellows are NAS members.
4.美国艺术与科学院（American Academy of Arts and Sciences）
The aforementioned American Academy of Arts and Sciences was founded in 1780 by John Adams, John Hancock, and 60 other scholar-patriots during the American Revolutionary War to honor exceptional minds and bring together leaders in all fields of humanity to study new ideas, solve problems important to the nation and the world, and work together to "nurture every possible art and science." To promote the interests, honour, dignity and well-being of free, independent and moral peoples. ”
United Kingdom:
1.英国皇家工程院（Royal Academy of Engineering）
The College was established in June 1976 under the patronage of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and became the Royal Academy of Engineering on 16 March 1992. It is administered in accordance with the Charter and relevant statutes and ordinances (as amended from time to time).
2.英国皇家学会(Royal Society)
The Royal Society, officially known as the Royal Society for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge in London, is an academic society and the National Academy of Sciences of the United Kingdom. The Association fulfills a variety of responsibilities: promoting science and its benefits, recognizing excellence in the field of science, supporting outstanding science, providing scientific advice for policy, education, and public engagement, and promoting international and global cooperation. Founded on 28 November 1660 and granted a royal charter by King Charles II, known as the Royal Society, it is the oldest and continuously existing Academy of Sciences in the world.
3.英国医学科学院（Academy of Medical Sciences)
The British Academy of Medical Sciences is an organization established in the United Kingdom in 1998 and is one of the four national academies in the United Kingdom with a mission to advance biomedical and health research and translate it into societal benefits. The faculty consists of about 1,200 academicians elected from the biomedical field. The ultimate goal of the college is to advance medical science and improve health by investing in talented researchers, engaging people on health-related issues, and providing expert and unbiased advice. As of April 2024, its chairman is Dame Anne Johnson.
4.英国不列颠学院（British Academy）
It was founded in 1902 and received a royal charter in the same year. It is now a group of over 1,000 leading academics across all disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, and a funding agency for research projects across the UK. The college is an autonomous and independent registered charity.
Germany:
1.巴伐利亚自然科学与人文科学学院（Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities
）
The college was founded on October 12, 1758. The Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities is an independent public institution and one of the largest, oldest and most research-intensive of the eight national academies in Germany. It conducts innovative, long-term research, connects scholars across disciplines and borders, uses its scientific expertise to influence politics and society, promotes the development of young scientists, and serves as a forum for dialogue between science and the public.
Russia:
1. Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS)
Founded in 1724 and now headquartered in Moscow, the Academy is the highest academic institution of the Russian Federation and the center leading the country's basic research in the natural and social sciences.
2. Russian Academy of Engineering (RAE)
The organization was established on May 13, 1990 by 20 ministries of the USSR and the Russian Federation. It is one of the three major cross-industry scientific institutions in Russia, and its founding units include the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Science and Industry, the Ministry of Defense and other departments, and the first president is Prokhov, a famous Russian scientist, Nobel Prize winner and academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Other countries and regions:
1.爱尔兰皇家科学院(Royal Irish Academy,简称RIA)
Founded in 1785 and granted a royal charter in 1786, the College is Ireland's premier academic society and one of its leading cultural institutions. As of 2019, the RIA has around 600 members, of which full members are Irish residents elected for their academic achievements and honorary members with similar qualifications but based abroad.
2.澳大利亚科学院（Australian Academy of Science）
The Australian Academy of Science was founded in 1954 by a group of distinguished Australians, including an Australian Fellow of the Royal Society of London. Modeled after the Royal Society, the College operates under a Royal charter; As such, it is an independent body, but it is recognized by the government.
3.爱丁堡皇家学会（Royal Society of Edinburgh，简称RSE）
The Society is a registered charity founded in 1783. As of May 2024, there are about 1,800 members.
4.欧洲科学与艺术院（European Academy of Sciences and Arts，简称EASA）
The organization is a transnational, interdisciplinary network that connects about 2,000 recommended scientists and artists around the world, including 38 Nobel laureates. The Academy was founded in 1990 by Felix Unger with the support of the City of Vienna, the Austrian government and the European Commission. EASA is currently headed by Klaus Mainzer, Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the Technical University of Munich.
Sources:
The Mystery of the Authenticity of the "Academician of the European Academy of Natural Sciences"
"Can you buy the title of academician for 400,000? European Academy of Natural Sciences China Representative Office: Academician qualifications will not be sold》
《European Academy of Sciences》
The European Academy of Sciences: Li Kui or Li Ghost? 》
"400,000 to buy a "foreign academician" title? "Academicians" should not be window dressing》
"Can you buy an academician for 400,000 yuan? Voices of the Association for Science and Technology →》
Source: Synthesized from the official website of nature, Wikipedia, the official website of the National Academy of Sciences, the official website of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the official website of ALLEA, Red Star News, The Paper, Beijing Youth Daily, China Visit Network, etc