Bill Gates, the tech billionaire who co-founded Microsoft, has been given one of China’s highest academic honours – an accolade which is mostly reserved for top scientists and engineers.
Gates was the only non-academic foreigner hand-picked by the Chinese Academy of Engineering for lifetime membership of the 815-member body from a pool of 533 candidates, the organisation announced on Monday.
New academicians are selected every two years from academic institutions, research institutes, enterprises and hospitals, both inside and outside China.
The CAE – which falls under the State Council, China’s top governing body – also has a role advising Beijing on the country’s economic and social development, and its new members need to have “strict political clearance”.
