On the morning of August 12, 2020, the inauguration ceremony for the Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Institute was grandly held by Chinese Academy of Fiscal Sciences in Beijing. Liu Jianhua, Chairwoman of Chinese Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Association (hereinafter referred to as “CAMAA”),  and Liu Shangxi, Member of the National Committee of CPPCC and Party Secretary and President of Chinese Academy of Fiscal Sciences jointly inaugurated for the Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Institute. Cheng Beiping, Vice President of Chinese Academy of Fiscal Sciences (hereinafter referred to as the “CAFS”) and Executive Vice Chairman of CAMAA presided over this ceremony. Chi Haibin, Former Executive Vice Minister of Ministry of Finance and President of the Fifth Council and the Sixth Council of CAMAA, Ding Xianjue, President of the Seventh Council of CAMAA, Zhang Hongli, President of the Eighth Council of CAMAA, as well as the members and guests of the leadership of the CAFS attended the ceremony.

(Podium for the inauguration ceremony of the Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Institute)

(Cheng Beiping, Vice President of Chinese Academy of Fiscal Sciences and Executive Vice Chairman of CAMAA presided over this ceremony)

Ma Jun, Deputy Party Secretary of Chinese Academy of Fiscal Sciences, delivered a speech at the ceremony. In his speech, he extended warm congratulations for the establishment of the Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Institute, as well as heartfelt thanks to all the leaders and guests who have been supporting the work of the CAFS over the years on behalf of the Party Committee of the CAFS.

(Ma Jun, Deputy Party Secretary of Chinese Academy of Fiscal Sciences, delivered a speech at the ceremony)

Ma Jun said, “the protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritages of the mankind is a strategic cultural project that benefits not only this generation, but many more to come”. As an institution dedicated to protection and inheritance of Chinese abacus skills, CAMAA has adhered to the leadership of former Presidents, the purpose of carrying forward traditional Chinese culture and the mission of protecting and inheriting intangible cultural heritages, and aims to usher in a new chapter for the protection, inheritance and development of abacus culture by respecting the cultural, scientific, educational and social nature of abacus skill as well as abacus and mental arithmetic and carrying forward the abacus culture amid reform and innovation.

The Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Institute, as an innovation platform, should unswervingly stick to the scientific research and innovation development direction of abacus mental arithmetic, further study and explore the enlightenment function of abacus and mental arithmetic by relying on the advantages of the national high-end think tank of the CAFS, and continuously expand the functions of abacus mental arithmetic to serve the society. Only by doing so can we build the Institute into a high-level scientific research and innovation platform integrating theoretical research, decision-making support, talent training, achievement transformation, exchange and cooperation, promote the creative transformation and innovative development of abacus mental arithmetic culture and provide a new education and training path for realizing the all-round development of mankind, especially the intellectual development, Ma Jun added.

(Chairwoman Liu Jianhua and President Liu Shangxi jointly inaugurated for the Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Institute)

After the ceremony, Liu Shangxi presented the appointment letter for Honorary Advisors to three former Presidents Chi Haibin, Ding Xianjue and Zhang Hongli, the appointment letter for Honorary President to Chairwomen Liu Jianhua, and the appointment letter for Executive President to Huang Wenkun.

(President Liu Shangxi presented the appointment letter for Honorary Advisors and Honorary President of the Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Institute)

In the post-meeting interview with Liu Shangxi, he said that, Chinese Abacus Skill was officially included in the “List of Masterpieces of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity” in December 2013. UNESCO claimed that it provided “another knowledge system” for the world and was “an example of adapting to contemporary needs”. Instead of just flattery words, the assessment of UNESCO is made based on the modern characteristics of scientific thought, construction logic and algorithm rules of abacus skill. It represents new cognition and new evaluation of Chinese Abacus Skill, which is far beyond the domestic one-sided understanding of abacus, so it is worth re-considering and re-examining the knowledge value and education value of abacus.

As Liu said, those who are proficient in abacus and mental arithmetic can calculate at an amazing speed with impressive efficiency. A large number of studies have shown that abacus and mental arithmetic education plays a significant role in developing children’s intellectual potential, and can effectively improve children’s attention, memory, observation and thinking abilities. The abacus and mental arithmetic should be re-examined and included in the national basic education curriculum as soon as possible, which can not only help enhance cultural self-confidence, but also improve the quality and calculation ability of nationals.

Liu Shangxi said, “the establishment of Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Institute and the registration of corresponding corporate entity is one of our strategic deployments to adapt to the new situation, face new challenges, seize new opportunities, and achieve new progress, as well as an important move to promote system and mechanism innovation and transformation of our development mode. It reflects our understanding of and ability to grasp the development law, direction and path of abacus and mental arithmetic are gradually improved and deepened, which is conducive to fostering a new pattern and trend of the development of Chinese abacus skill as an intangible cultural heritage.”

He stressed that we should have a profound understanding of the importance and significance of establishing a new combination platform of the Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Institute and the company entity, and use it as a test field and practice base for reform and innovation to actively explore market-oriented operation modes; establish sound management systems and operation mechanisms in this regard to release the institutional dividends and talents’ vitality through institutional innovation. We should conduct deeper research, promote the popularization of abacus and mental arithmetic and carry out in-depth research on abacus and mental arithmetic theories to continuously improve the theoretical and academic level. We should cope with the relationship between public welfare and marketization correctly, coordinate “two wheels” of public welfare and the market with the former as the guidance and the latter as the means, and promote the healthy development of abacus and mental arithmetic with constant efforts. We should summarize the market-oriented operation experience of private institutions in detail and act boldly in market-oriented reforms, thus advancing work implementation and career progress and providing motivation and guarantee for sustainable development of the public welfare.

(Group photo of participating leaders and some guests)

The Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Institute provides a scientific research platform that integrates theoretical research, decision support, talent training and achievements transformation and sticks to public welfare orientation and marketization direction. It mainly performs the following functions: integrate expert resources in abacus skill, mathematics, education, culture, etc. at home and abroad to form an interdisciplinary research force; fully capitalize on domestic and foreign advanced theories and practical results to provide strategic consultation and policy recommendations for major problems encountered in the development of Chinese abacus skill; practice the mission of training the inheritors of abacus skill (abacus culture) as an intangible cultural heritage, and organize trainings for teachers of abacus skill and abacus and mental arithmetic.