Academician ZHANG Xiaoxiang and academician XIA Peisu, both from the Institute of Computing Technology under Chinese Academy of Sciences (ICT, CAS), won the first Lifetime Achievement Award of China Computer Federation (CCF) in Beijing on Jan. 22, 2011.

The two scientists, both regarded as pioneers of computer industry in China, were each awarded trophies and certificates which were presented by academician LI Guojie, council chairman of CCF.

The award was established to honor over 70-year-old scientists who have made outstanding contributions to computer science and who were widely recognized in computing field.

CCF, an academic association, was set up in 1962 with the aim of providing services for professionals in computing field such as holding academic conferences, publishing academic magazines, popularizing science and presenting awards.

Reference:
ZHANG Xiaoxiang: ZHANG plays an important role in the establishment, extension and development of computer industry in China.

In the late 1950s, he supervised the simulation of the first large-scale electronic computer in common use in China, Computer 104.

Over the next 35 years, he presided over the research and manufacture of various generations of electronic computers designed in China from radio tube transistors to large scale integrated circuits. 

By the mid 1970s, ZHANG led and developed the exploration, research and manufacture of the first multiprocessor and national computer system projects. In 1985, he completed the first 1G giant concurrent computer system in China.

ZHANG was elected to the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1991.

XIA Peisu: XIA spent her career as a researcher at ICT. In 1960, she designed and successfully trial-manufactured the first universal electronic digital computer independently designed in China, Computer 107. A decade later, she made systematic and creative achievements in the research and design of high-speed computer.

XIA was also responsible for developing the high-speed array processor, which improved the processing speed of regular seismic data in petroleum prospecting by a factor of ten. The operational speed of vector processor designed based on this principle is five times that of other processors then in the country. She was also responsible for designing and successfully developing multiple parallel computers of different types.

XIA was elected to the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1991.