Professor Chen Jun, President of Nanjing University, was elected Chairman of the board of directors of the Association of East Asian Research Universities (AEARU), which proves a rising influence NJU has on the academia in East Asia and in the world. Established in January 1996, AEARU has 17 members, including Seoul National University, Tokyo University, Tsukuba University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Taiwan University, National Tsing Hua University and Beijing University. This association aims to provide a platform for leading research universities in East Asia for research and co-operations. NJU became a member in 2001 and has since been actively taking part in the annual meetings and other academic exchanges.