ARTIST FOR PEACE

UNESCO named Chinese painter Han Meilin the “Artist for Peace” in Paris on October 13.

Han is the first Chinese artist to receive the honor.

“Mr. Han Meilin is designated in recognition of his long-term commitment to promoting art and artistic education in China， his support to providing quality education to young people， notably through projects led by the Han Meilin Art Foundation， and his dedication to the ideals and aims of the organization，”UNESCO said on its website.

Born in east Chinas Shandong Province in 1936， Han graduated from the Chinese Central Academy of Arts and Design， now the Academy of Arts and Design at Tsinghua University. He has had solo exhibitions in more than 20 countries. He is best known as the designer of the mascots， the Fuwa， for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Delaying Retirement Should Take Time

Beijing Youth Daily October 19

Minister of Human Resources and Social Security Yin Weimin recently announced the ministry will publish a plan delaying the countrys retirement age. The retirement age will be postponed gradually， delayed several months every year until it reaches a reasonable point.

In light of Chinas serious aging problem and the ensuing pressure of providing for the elderly， it has become necessary and urgent to delay the retirement age. However， the widespread implications of this policy need to be sufficiently considered. On the one hand， employees who have to postpone their retirement because of the policy adjustment may be discontent and uncomfortable with the new arrangement. On the other hand， it is debatable whether employees who have passed the peak of their careers and are unwilling to stick with their posts can play a big role.

Without incentive policies to stimulate employees enthusiasm， postponing retirement could burden employees and employers. The move may increase the income of social security departments， while reducing their costs， which would lessen their pressure to pay pensions. But for employers， they may receive no benefit aside from paying endowment insurances for employees for several additional years. If this is the case， the policy will only transfer the burden of providing for seniors from the government to employers and employees. Therefore， the policy should be carried out step by step， and the interests of all sides involved should be considered.

Low-Impact Development

Oriental Outlook October 22

Cities in China face two problems at odds with one another. Its become a common occurrence to see cities inundated by heavy rain， revealing an underdeveloped drainage system. At the same time， many of them face a severe water shortage. The reason： Too much urban land has been paved with concrete.

Chinas solution is low-impact development （LID）， an approach to land development （or re-development） that works with nature to manage storm water. In Chinese， this approach is called a “sponge city.” In April， three ministries published a list of 16 pilot sponge cities， which the Central Government has earmarked 20 billion yuan（$3 billion） to construct.

In sponge cities， rainwater is made the most of. For instance， it waters plants on vegetated rooftops and permeates porous pavement where it will go into the ground to supplement underground water. It can also be stored in rain barrels and bioretention facilities and used to water plants， wash cars and flush toilets.

Attention has historically been given to increasing the number of underground drainage pipes， ignoring the capacity of nature. In sponge cities， however， priority is given to natural solutions.

LID is a systematic project. Local governments need to treat water， gardens， roads and residential compounds as a whole when carrying out planning， construction and management. In addition， LID must be made financially viable. Without the guarantee of long-term funding， sponge cities that require a large amount of money for construction and maintenance will be hard to come by.

Managing Scientific Research

Guangming Daily October 20

With the revelation of a series of Nobel Prizes recently， the criteria for judging scientific research have once again come under the spotlight. Prominent academic achievements cannot be reached through an evaluation system that emphasizes quantity when quality， such as the level of originality， is more important. A sound evaluation system should promote the production of high-end products and cultivate innovative talent.

Many researchers claim that the Chinese Governments policies aimed at spurring innovation have not reached the desired effect and an overall atmosphere encouraging innovation has not been formed. Some ar- gue that research funds have not been used properly.

There have been constant calls for the evaluation of scientific research to be based on the ingenuity of research and for academic research to be interest-driven rather than quantity-oriented. Nevertheless， a flawed system has caused resources to flow to low-end， redundant research programs. The only solution is to reform the evaluation method to direct resources to avant-garde research.

In evaluating academic research， peer review should be fully taken into consideration， while the procedures of applying for financial support from the government should be simplified. Scientists must be given greater discretion in the use of research funds. Meanwhile， academic misconduct， such as plagiarism and fund abuse， should be curbed， and the academic community should pay more credence to innovative research， rather than personal rewards.

NEW DEPUTY CENTRAL BANKER

Chen Yulu， President of the Beijing-based Renmin University of China， has reportedly been appointed vice governor of the Peoples Bank of China （PBC）， the countrys central bank.

Chen confirmed his appointment in reply to text message inquiries from Business.sohu.com， although there has been no official announcement.

Chen， 49， holds a doctorate degree in economics， and was a senior fellow of the Eisenhower Foundation and a Fulbright visiting scholar at the University of Columbia. An expert in monetary policy and international finance， he was a member of the PBCs Monetary Policy Committee between 2012 and 2015. The committee performs an advisory role in the central bank.

Prior to taking the helm at Renmin University of China， he served as president of Beijing Foreign Studies University from 2010 to 2011.

“Immediate measures are needed to fuel population growth， including nursing subsidies for couples who choose to have more than one child， longer maternity leave for parents and easier access to education and health services.”

Mu Guangzong， a professor at the Institute of Population Research of Peking University， giving advice concerning Chinas declining birth rate， on October 17

“Financial reforms and opening up must be carried out continuously and steadfastly to improve Chinas overall global competitiveness.”

Premier Li Keqiang， commenting on the Chinese banking sectors challenge in terms of handling nonperforming loans at a meeting on October 16

“As many Chinese families are getting richer， students may drop the idea of studying business to pursue material benefits. Instead， they may turn to some majors and disciplines that are less materially beneficial but can arouse their passion and interest， such as the liberal arts.”

Wang Huiyao， Director of the Beijing-based think tank， the Center for China & Globalization， on October 21

“The development of environment-friendly burials is at an early stage， with most residents clinging to land-consuming traditional rituals.”

Chen Weidong， Deputy Director of the Beijing Civil Affairs Bureau， calling for reform of burial practices on October 21