From October 16,2015 to October 17, 2015, the first session of Southern China Leading EdgeSynthetic Chemistry High-end Forum was held successfully. Many chemical exportsgo together in SUSTC, we utilized this rare opportunity to interview some ofthem, to express their opinions on some issues, such as development frontier ofchemical major, development prospect of our university and Department ofChemistry. Those being interviewed include Lin Qiangguo, academician fromChinese Academy of Sciences and researcher from Shanghai Institute of OrganicChemistry of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ren Yonghua, academician from ChineseAcademy of Sciences and professor from University of Hong Kong, and ProfessorZhang Xumu, Dean of Department of Chemistry of our university.

Lin Guoqiang: Introducing excellentyoung teachers is of great importance

Academician LinGuoqiang, export of organic chemistry and researcher from Shanghai Institute ofOrganic Chemistry of Chinese Academy of Sciences accepted our interview withpleasure, answered our questions carefully, spoke with fervor and assurance,and proposed some valuable opinions and suggestions. 

University running shall conform to actual local economic developmentsituation 

Shenzhen is a citywith early reform and opening up in China, now it has a population of more than15 million. However, there are only Shenzhen University and newly-establishedSUSTC as well as a few graduate schools, which are far more than enough. Shenzhenhas rapid economic development, which needs support of science and technology,while scientific development relies on talents, thus education is of greatimportance. Shenzhen Government puts huge investment into SUSTC every year, I personallyfavor the establishment of SUSTC. I heard SUSTC is about to enroll graduatestudents, which indicates the attention paid by the country to education. 

Chemistry is very important,nothing can be separated from it. There are many chemical enterprises inShenzhen, for example plastic processing, and petrochemical enterprises aswell. Guangzhou and Hong Kong are not far from Shenzhen, so we can focus on thedevelopment of chemical pharmacy and biological pharmacy. University runningshall conform to actual local economic development situation.

College system and enrollment regardless of major are good

I am wellacquainted with former principle Zhu Qingshi of SUSTC, and I have paidattention to SUSTC for a long time. When it was first started, the enrollmentwas very difficult due to a lot of reasons, for example system. And it was notwell known by people, and many relations needed to be smoothed. Now we can see,graduates from Department of Chemistry of SUSTC all have good prospects. As ascience and technology university, science of engineering shall be paid equalattention to. I think chemistry is very important. Chemistry is basic subject,and basic research is of great importance, and shall have characteristics. 

Starting as a blanksheet, there are so many things to be put into, still water runs deep,accumulating slowly and silently is very time-consuming. The ranking ofuniversity is not important, it is characteristics which counts. College systemis good, the college system of Hong Kong University is successful, withteachers and students hanging around all day long. Many universities aregrowing bigger now. I am not satisfied with the idea that teachers coming homeafter getting off and do not want to be found by students. Young teachers shallspend more time in lab, basic discoveries all come from lab, how can they comeout of books. Listening to report of students is not enough, discussion on difficultiesis the right way to go. My teachers and my teachers’ teachers used to spendtheir work time in lab, and chat together when free. Interdisciplinary subjectsemerge currently, such as biological chemistry and chemical materials. Tooearly major dividing can lead to insufficient knowledge, so I think it’s betterto divide major on the third year.  

Chemistry forum can promote attention to SUSTC

Subject layout of universityshall be done step by step. Chemistry has an important role, Department ofChemistry of SUSTC has a qualified teaching group. The application situation ofSUSTC for National Natural Science Foundation of China this year is good. Thefuture hope lies in young people and students. 

Thereare many teachers participating in this forum, being academician or not is not important,because academicians are only experience in one aspect, the more important workshall be done by young teacher, they have better energy and new though, andthey can develop closer relations with students. Therefore, I thinkintroduction of excellent young teachers is of great importance. I think thisforum can attract many people. Now SUSTC has more than 2000 students, and itwill further enroll graduate students, the future will be brighter. We can alsotake this chance to know about other universities, to know there establishment,and this is a good change for communication.

Ren Yonghua: HopingThere Will be Students from SUSTC Giving Speech at the Forum 

Academician RenYonghua, chair professor from Department of Chemistry of University of HongKong, is well known in the fields of organometallic chemistry, supramolecularchemistry and photochemistry. She fully affirmed the significance of the forum,and proposed pertinent suggestions. She admired and supported the goal of SUSTCto build Best Department of Chemistry in China, and claimed with efforts ofeveryone, this goal is bound to be reached. 

Professor Renthinks this forum is excellent :”So many exports are invited to this forum,which provides a communication platform, for teachers from other universitiesto further know about SUSTC, and it’s beneficial to students to know and communicatewith these exports, it’s a win-win forum.”Meanwhile, she proposes expect tostudents of SUSTC :”In a few years, when there are many achievements, studentscan give speech, to let people know the work of students. For students, theycan learn more experience, and this is rare experience.”

To her, sufficient knowledge and confidence are requisites for a goodreport, while wide horizon and comprehensive knowledge are requisites to learnchemistry well. 

Chemistry isinterdisciplinary subject, is central science, and is related to medicine,material, energy and physics, so you shall first master basic contents ofchemistry, which is of great importance. Then pay more attention to developmentof peripheral fields, only in this way, can you enhance your comprehensionability. Pay attention to articles of other different fields beside your own,read more and think more, to intercross chemistry in different fields. 

When mentioning SUSTC, she says:”This is a university without historicalburden and with multi-party support, it has good prospect in its development. Youshall continue to strive, master the time of the few years, enhanceself-confidence, and prepare for the future. With efforts of everyone, SUSTC’sgoal of building first class university is bound to be realized.”

Zhang Xumu: Buildingthe World-leading Department of Chemistry

In the afternoon of October 17, Professor Zhang Xumu, Director ofDepartment of Chemistry of our university received the interview of journalistfrom Student News Agency in the interval of the forum. 

News Agency: firstcongratulations on the success of Department of Chemistry of holding thislarge-scale academic forum, there are many academicians and professors frommany universities and scientific research institutions participate in it inSUSTC.

Zhang Xumu: Yes. Thisindicates these academicians and professors in the chemistry field pay highattention to the cooperation of Southern China scientific research projects,meanwhile it indicates they support SUSTC, especially the Department ofChemistry. 

News Agency: Why could the Department of Chemistry of SUSTC hold thisforum?

Zhang Xumu: We haveexcellent professors, excellent compus environment, cultural environment,scientific environment, and SUSTC is located in Shenzhen, this beautiful city,meanwhile SUSTC is the name card of Shenzhen innovation and educationundertaking development, these are the reasons why SUSTC can hold this forum.

News Agency: What’s the influence of holding this forum on SUSTC and theDepartment of Chemistry of SUSTC?

Zhang Xumu: It can encourage teachers and students from SUSTC to researchand study, to promote further perfection of SUSTC innovation environment. Meanwhileit can raise social attention to SUSTC, let the whole country even world towitness growing of SUSTC.

News Agency: duringthe forum, there is the awarding ceremony of German IKA God’s Favored OneScholarship entering SUSTC, what does it reflect? What relation it has withthis forum?

Zhang Xumu: Enteringof IKA into SUSTC reflects improvement of teaching standard of SUSTC andknowledge capability of students. This forum is paid high attention by domesticscience field, meanwhile there are many domestic and foreign renownedacademicians and professors attending, enterprises enhance their popularity. Besides,Entering of IKA into SUSTC can encourage students to work hard and promotethemselves. 

News Agency: What’s your expectation for the Department of Chemistry afteryou come here?

Zhang Xumu: In onesentence, build it into world first class Department of Chemistry.

Suppliedby: Student News Agency

Written by: WangXiaohan  Li Wanjia  Zhou Xi

Photographed by:Lan Qiao  Ni Yaping  Li Menghan