The Institute of Software, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ISCAS) is a research base that focuses on the research and development on theories of computer science and leading edge technologies of software. ISCAS was founded on March 1st, 1985. It is situated at No.4, Zhongguancun South 4th Street, Haidian District, in Beijing.
Initially, there were only five founder members. They did research by two 16-bit microcomputers in the rooms that they borrowed with a small amount of funding per year. But being “Innovative, Pragmatic and Competitive”，ISCAS has been making unceasing progress in past decades. Nowadays, ISCAS possesses three buildings, where more than 1000 faculty, staff and students are working and studying. It raises more than 200 million RMB per year in research funding. With all staff’s endeavor, ISCAS is going to develop faster and stronger.
ISCAS has already established three scientific research systems. They are basic research system in leading-edge areas, which is led by several state key laboratories and national engineering research centers, high technology research system and application research system. ISCAS focuses its research fields and related research areas on computer science, computer software and computer application technology etc. ISCAS now is composed of Basic Research Department, Hi-Tech Research Department, Applied Research Department, Software Development Division as well as X-LAB. It owns a group of celebrated scientists and a team of young talents with strong research capabilities.
There are 701 employees in ISCAS as of December, 2017. Among them, there are 3 academicians of Chinese Academy of Science, 1 academician of the Third World Academy of Science, 72 research professors, 130 associate research professors and senior engineers, 5 awardees of National Funds for Distinguished Young Scientists, and 10 persons selected by Hundred Talent Program. The average age of the employees is only 36.
ISCAS is authorized to grant PhD and Master’s degrees in two primary disciplines: Computer Science & Technology, and Software Engineering. It cultivates full-time graduate students majored in Computer Technology and Software Engineering. ISCAS is one of the pilot institutes of engineering doctoral education in Electronic and Information. Now, two post-doctoral stations in Computer Science & Technology and Software Engineering have been set up. There are 208 PhD candidates and 13 post-doctoral research fellows in ISCAS.
Meanwhile, ISCAS has built up close relationships with more than forty countries on academic exchange and technology cooperation. It also cooperates with provincial or municipal government in China. Nowadays, six branches have been set up in Wuxi, Chongqing, Harbin, Guangzhou, Qingdao and Guiyang.
In addition, Chinese Information Processing Society of China (CIPS), Mathematical Software Branch of China Software Industry Association (CSIA), and Cryptographic Algorithms Commission of Chinese Association for Cryptologic Research (CACR) are all affiliated to ISCAS. ISCAS also sponsors academic journals, including Journal of Software, Journal of Chinese Information Processing, Computer Systems & Applications, and International Journal of Software and Informatics.
Fruitful results have been achieved on computer sciences and software technologies by ISCAS for over 30 years. 42 Achievement Awards at the academy, ministerial and state level are obtained (ISCAS is the first contributor of the Awards). The awards ISCAS has won range from State Natural Sciences Award (1 first prize, 2 second prizes and 1 third prize) to State Science and Technology Progress Award (8 second prizes, 2 third prizes). It’s worth mentioning that since the State Natural Sciences Award was issued, the first prize award in computer field was given to ISCAS.
