Western Returned Scholars Association


The Western Returned Scholars Association is a people's organization composed mainly of returned overseas Chinese students from various countries. It is under the United Front Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party.
WWW wrsa.net

History

The original WRSA was founded in October 1913 in Beijing by Wellington Koo, Liang Dunyan, Zhan Tianyou, Cai Yuanpei, Yan Huiqing, Chengting T. Wang, and Zhou Yichun, among others.
The organization ceased activities during the Cultural Revolution, and resumed its activities in 1982.

Functions

According to analyst Alex Joske, the WRSA is "the UFWD's primary body for interacting with ethnic Chinese scholars and scientists". It runs the official association for participants for the Thousand Talents Plan. It is managed by the UFWD's Non-Affiliated and Minor Party Intellectuals Work Bureau and led by the CCP Secretariat. In the 2020s, the WRSA has come under greater scrutiny in the West.