The Membership of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences () and Honorary Membership of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences () are the highest academic titles within the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), and are lifelong honors. The members are active scholars, while honorary members are retired scholars. They are elected for different academic divisions of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences every four years.
In 1955, the Chinese Academy of Sciences established its system of Membership of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The Division of Philosophy and Social Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the predecessor of CASS, elected 61 members of the academy.
In 1977, the Division of Philosophy and Social Sciences was separated from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and established as the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
In October 1993, the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences were renamed "Academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences". In 2006, CASS established the system of "Membership of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences".
In August, 2006, the first batch of 47 members and 95 honorary members of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences were selected. Subsequent elections were held in
Up to 2024, a total of 82 members had been selected from the entire academy (as of March 2022, there were 133 honorary members).
The selection processes include:
Criteria emphasize:
The Election is carried out every two to four years. Unlike the selection of academicians for the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the members and honorary members are selected only from within the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, with no participation from universities or other social science circles.
CASS members do not enjoy any special treatment in terms of material benefits.
Honorary Members are:
The honorary members were elected by members and the honorary members selection committee and approved by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences administrative meeting. They do not participate in administrative functions but retain lifetime recognition. Honorary members and members of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences have an academic status roughly equivalent to academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering.