Chen Zhili

Chen Zhili in 2009

Chen Zhili (simplified Chinese: 陈至立; traditional Chinese: 陳至立; pinyin: Chén Zhìlì; born November 1942) is a senior female politician of the People's Republic of China, and the former State Councilor and Minister of Education of PRC. She currently serves as a vice chairman of standing committee of the 11th National People's Congress. She was vice chairman of the organization commission of 29th Olympic Games, and the governor of Beijing Olympic Village.

Biography

Born in Xianyou County, Putian, Fujian Province, Chen graduated from the department of physics at Fudan University. She pursued her postgraduate degree at Shanghai Institute of Ceramics of Chinese Academy of Sciences, doing research of solid-state physics. Chen joined the Communist Party of China ("CPC") in January 1961. At the beginning of the Cultural Revolution, Chen was sent to work in an army farm for two years before returning to the Institute. In 1982, she was at Penn State University in the United States as a visiting scholar. After that, she was elevated to vice Party Chief of the Institute, and thus transformed from a scholar to a CPC official.

Chen's former posts in Shanghai included vice secretary and later, secretary of the CPC committee of Shanghai Science and Technology Commission, director of the propaganda department of Shanghai, and vice secretary of CPC Shanghai committee. During her tenure in Shanghai, Jiang Zemin, Zhu Rongji, Wu Bangguo and Huang Ju served as Shanghai's Party chief.

In August 1997, Chen was transferred to central government and appointed as vice director and leader of Party group of National Education Commission. In 1998, she became the Minister of Education. In 2003, she was further elevated to the position of State Councilor, in charge of education, culture and sports. In March 2008, Chen was elected a vice chairman of the standing committee of National People's Congress. On April 12, 2008, she was appointed as governor of Beijing Olympic Village.

Chen was an alternate member of 13th and 14th Central Committees of the Communist Party of China, and a full member of 15th, 16th, 17th Central Committees.

External links

• Media related to at Wikimedia Commons

Government offices
Preceded by Zhu Kaixuan	Minister of Education of the People's Republic of China 1998 –2003	Succeeded by Zhou Ji