Two professors from Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT) have recently been elected academicians at a top Chinese think tank.

Professor Deng Zongquan and Tan Jiubin have been elected as new academicians at the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), one of China's top think tanks advising government and industry on key scientific and technological issues.

CAE published the list of 67 newly-elected academicians, 49 from China and 18 from abroad, on its website on Nov 28.

There are now 882 Chinese academicians and 66 foreign academicians who are members of CAE.

CAE membership is China's highest honor in the field of technology, and members stay in the academy for the rest of their lives. New members are recruited every two years.

Professor Deng Zongquan, who undertakes research on design theory and the technology of space and robots, was nominated by CAE for his great contribution to the Chang’e 3 and Chang’e 5 lunar exploration projects.

Professor Tan Jiubin is a pacesetter in scientific research on ultra-precision measurements in the field of high-end equipment manufacturing. He has made great breakthroughs in equipment manufacturing and helped fill the technology gap.

With the election of the two professors, the number of academicians from Harbin Institute of Technology has reached 38.