Women in Physics in China Chinese Physical Society, Beijing, China IUPAP International Conference on Women in Physics Paris, France March 7-9, 2002

Since the early 20th century Chinese women physicists including Chien-Shiung Wu and Xi-De Xie have played a vital role in advancing the cause of physics throughout China and the world. In the last decades the number of women on the mainland choosing physics as a career has risen dramatically but is still behind the other sciences, and has also been affected by social and political factors. Although absolute numbers are high, the ratio compared to men, especially in higher ranking positions, is still low. Moreover, in recent years the ratio in research is even gradually decreasing. This contrasts with the ratio in physics teaching, which has remained more or less constant. There is still much that we should do to encourage girls to study physics, and to improve conditions for women to enter research and leading university positions.

Professor 5.1% Associate Professor 17.8% Women 20.8% Men The Chinese Physical Society Membership in 2001 Female membership

Total Female Personnel 23,073 / 68,292 ~33.8% Scientific and Technical Personnel45,124 Senior level16,618 Middle level18,397 Junior level10,109 Administrative Staff 7,597 Workers15,571 Female Physics Full Prof. in research 100 / 1,377 Female Physics Full Prof. in administration 21 / 541 Chinese Academy of Sciences (1997)

Ratio of Women Awarded NNSF Grants in Physics in Number Age

The percentage of women is going down!

Physics Faculty in Shanghai Jiaotong University male professors 38% female professors 1% male associate professors 32% female associate professors 10% male assistant professors 14% female assistant professors 5%

Percentage of Female Graduate Students in All Subjects in Shanghai Ten thousand Male Master Candidates Female Master Candidates Male Doctor Candidates Female Doctor Candidates Physics Graduate Enrollment (MS) in Shanghai JiaoTong University

Physics Undergraduate Enrollment in Shanghai JiaoTong University

Physics Undergraduate Enrollment in Nanjing University The ratio of female undergraduates in many physics departments is low and erratic.

The ratio of female physics undergraduates in normal universities is not so low, though still erratic. Physics Undergraduate Enrollment in Beijing Normal University

Organize physics and applied physics competition programs specially for girls in secondary schools Encourage girls in secondary schools to participate in creative activities and inventions in the physical sciences Departments of physics should provide more chances for girl students who are interested in physics Our Recommendations

Women professors and scientists in physics should give stronger support to young women in their research Our Recommendations Ling-An Wu, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences Yi-Cheng Xie, Beijing Polytechnic University Min Wang, Experimental Senior School Attached to Beijing Normal Univ. Yan-Lai Yan, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Man-Ling Sui, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences Hong Zhang, China Association for Science and Technology Shu-Qin Tian, Chinese Physical Society, Beijing, China