On the afternoon of November 19, 2015, Robert H. Grubbs, a professor from California Institute of Technology and the winner of the 2005 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, delivered a lecture at the 43rd “SUSTC Lecture Hall” on the application of basic disciplines to industry. The public lecture was held in the lecture hall on the ground floor of No. 1 Research Building, and was presided over by Chen Shiyi, President of SUSTC.

Before the lecture kicked off, the Lecture Hall was packed with teachers and students; apart from the faculty and students of SUSTC, the audience also included many teachers and students from high schools in Shenzhen, and the hall was throbbing with excitement.

Lecture Venue

Prof. Grubbs is an academician of both the US National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and is the winner of Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2005. Since 1978, he has been working with the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of the California Institute of Technology (CIT), and is currently a Victor and Elizabeth Atkins Professor of Chemistry in CIT.

President of SUSTC Chen Shiyi presiding over the lecture

At the beginning of the lecture, President of SUSTC Chen Shiyi enthusiastically introduced Prof. Grubbs to the audience, and disclosed two pieces of good news: “We hope to invite Prof. Robert H. Grubbs to SUSTC and set up a research institute named after him; Prof. Grubbs is happy to accept our invitation, and the Shenzhen Municipal Government has approved this idea and urges us to move ahead. In addition, Prof. Grubbs has agreed to be appointed as the President of the Academic Advisory Committee of the Department of Chemistry, SUSTC.” Thunderous applause rose upon the news.

“Interests” are the guide and drive of life

Prof. Grubbs is of great stature. When he stepped onto the stage, his amicable smile and light-hearted opening remarks convinced the audience that a charismatic “Nobel Laureate” was standing right in front of them.

“At that time I was actually picked out to study organic chemistry, and I was very fond of it; I was lucky. I knew I took to organic chemistry, so I began my research of organic chemistry.” Prof. Grubbs recounted the days when he pursued his education as a young man. When Prof. Grubbs was an undergraduate, he wasn’t majoring in science but in agriculture. The US government attached great importance to scientific research, so he could get access to chemical science and found his special interest in organic chemistry; as a result, he started to take research as a career. Prof. Grubbs said that “interest” is the constant drive for him to pursue scientific research, and it was very important to find your direction of interest.

Exemplifying the industrialization of research findings with the successful application of catalysts

Catalysts are one of the major focuses of Prof. Grubbs, to which he gave an in-depth introduction. All the traditional catalysts require a specific catalytic environment; the aerobic and highly-acid environment, however, is unfavorable for the catalysis of many catalysts, so in reality, it’s very difficult to synthesize a substance in large quantities. Yet the Grubbs catalyst is not the same as the previous ones. Prof. Grubbs presented the audience with vivid examples how his catalyst helps break double bond and achieve synthesis, making possible the catalysis in many reactions even in aerobic and highly-acid environment.

“I synthesized this catalyst and was awarded the Nobel Prize. Then how can I put this catalyst into wide use?” To put a catalyst into wide use, said Prof. Grubbs, the catalyzed products must be mass-produced rather than produced in milligrams, or it won’t work out well. Since the Grubbs catalyst enables catalytic reaction in varied environment, it has solved the issue of mass production. Then how can we put this catalyst into actual use?

Prof. Grubbs continued to introduce many cases of catalysts being used in industry. Drugs for hepatitis can be mass-produced in this way, said Prof. Grubbs, and the reason why this drug could be synthesized is that the catalyst enables synthesis of complex molecules, and this technique has already been put into use in factories. In fact, many other drugs, including interferon, can be synthesized. As for the other ways of application, it can be used to synthesize impellers in wind power, or in Green Chemistry, turning natural resources, like vegetable oil, into utilizable chemicals for people. Also, it could be used to synthesize insect oestrogen to trap and kill insects, thus providing a solution to the harmful effect generated by pesticide residue. Finally, Prof. Grubbs cited two examples to illustrate how to use catalysts to synthesize polymers and replacers.

A humorous question by President Chen and a witty answer by Prof. Grubbs

The brilliant lecture of Prof. Grubbs triggered bursts of applause, and a Q&A session was followed before the closing of the lecture. President Chen raised the first question in a humorous tone: “Just now Prof. Grubbs showed us a photo of researchers working together with him. Then how can our students earn the opportunity to be part of the photo?” The question was echoed with a burst of applause from the audience.

Prof. Grubbs replied with a smile that it is easy, because CIT also has a host of research projects, professors and opportunities.

To the teachers and students’ questions such as “how can I arouse the students’ interest in chemistry?” and “what’s your opinion on Chinese traditional medicine?”… Prof. Grubbs also gave detailed and enlightening answers.

Q&A Session

The audience

President Chen presenting Prof. Grubbs with an “SUSTC Lecture Hall” certificate

Students demanding autographs from Prof. Grubbs

Prof. Grubbs and the audience

President Chen concluded that he believes the insights of Prof. Grubbs will guide the scientific and technological research of SUSTC, and our university will grow better and stronger. President Chen also presented a “SUSTC Lecture Hall” certificate to Prof. Grubbs.

After the lecture, many students demanded autographs from Prof. Grubbs and took a photo with him.

Brilliant quotations from Prof. Grubbs

“Now there is something wrong with science education”–“In my view, there is something wrong with science education currently; specifically, it covers too much and is too fast, and there are too many quizzes and tests. We merely impart knowledge to students, which suppresses their creativity. Interest is required to drive and support scientific research. If learning and research are just about the imparting of knowledge, and you can’t enjoy the journey, you will never amount to much. I think we should learn and apply creatively. We need to master a certain amount of basic knowledge, but more importantly, we should have the ability to apply what we learn in a creative way, not just the ability to learn by rote.”

“I need students with high self-discipline”– “In my research team, I would rather you didn’t do anything if you need me to supervise and urge you to do this or that; I’ve published many papers and to join my team, students need self-discipline to complete what they are supposed to do. I need people with high self-discipline to work for me and have their papers published, and good students will do these things.”

“Small steps lead to major breakthroughs”–“You can’t turn scientific imagination into success in a day. It has taken more than 20 years for me to reach where I am now. I used to expect that immediate success would follow if I did something well; but in reality, when small and steady steps lead to major breakthroughs, that is scientific imagination, and the premise is that you must keep going till you reach the goal. Stick to what you are doing. When you feel progress, breakthroughs, and new breakthroughs after a while, that is the true state of scientific research.”

“You will succeed only when ability and interest are combined”–“You need, for one thing, to identify the direction of your interest and the direction of your ability. When I was in countryside, I liked particularly useful things; then I found the direction of catalysts, which I believe could really bring into being many things, and I have the ability to do this. You will succeed only when ability and interest are combined.”