Zhongguo ke xue yuan

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS; 中国科学院) is the national academy for natural sciences and the highest consultancy for science and technology of the People's Republic of China. It is the world's largest research organization, with 106 research institutes, 2 universities, 71,300 full-time employees, and 79 thousand graduate students. The Chinese Academy of Sciences has historical origins in the Academia Sinica during the Republican era and was formerly also known by that name until the 1980s. The academy functions as the national scientific think tank and academic governing body, providing advisory and appraisal services on issues stemming from the national economy, social development, and science and technology progress. It is headquartered in Beijing, with affiliate institutes throughout China. It has also created hundreds of commercial enterprises, Lenovo being one of the most famous. The academy also runs the University of Science and Technology of China and the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, both of which are among the world's top four institutions in the Nature Index rankings.