Western Returned Scholars Association

Established in 1913, Western Returned Scholars Association (WRSA) is a long-standing and influential national association of outstanding Chinese scholars who returned from overseas. Since 2003, it has also been known as Overseas-educated Scholars Association of China. Since its establishment, WRSA has been committed to patriotic undertakings and popularization of science and knowledge in China. It organized patriotic and democratic movements and devoted itself to the cause of national salvation and people’s liberation. After the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949, WRSA called for overseas Chinese scholars to return to the motherland and assisted them in this regard. Meanwhile, it organized its members to make contributions to national development. Since the Reform and Opening-up Policy was introduced in 1978, it has engaged with and rallied overseas-educated scholars who have returned to China and those who stay overseas to work together for development of socialism with Chinese Characteristics. In the new century, by leveraging its human and intellectual resources, WRSA has provided ideas and proposals for the government and good services to high-caliber overseas-educated talents, made contributions to national and local economic and social development, and dedicated itself to the building of a moderately well-off society and realization of the Chinese dream—great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The WRSA has set up branches in 30 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government) the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and 15 sub-provincial cities in China. Moreover, it boasts 15 chapters by country, 2 institutional members, and nearly individual members.