Challenges and opportunities facing game theory and control: an interview with Tamer Başar

The Control community has recently witnessed an almost exponentially growing interest in the application of game-theoretic concepts and tools in research on control, multi-agent systems, and networks. In an interview with NSR, Professor Tamer Başar, a member of the US National Academy of Engineering, Swanlund Endowed Chair and CAS Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Director of the Center for Advanced Study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the USA, former president of both the IEEE Control Systems Society and the American Automatic Control Council, and the founding president of the International Society of Dynamic Games, talked about the recently emerging role of game theory in control and networking research, how it broadens the territorial boundaries of control into disciplines outside engineering, and opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.     

北京化工大学十五年科学基金资助情况回顾与分析

国家自然科学基金是国家创新体系的重要组成部分,用以资助自然科学基础研究及部分应用研究。北京化工大学创办于1958年,原名北京化工学院,是新中国为“培养尖端科学技术所需求的高级化工人才”而创建的一所高水平大学。作为教育部直属的全国重点大学,国家“211工程”和“‘985’优势学科创新平台”重点建设院校,国家“一流学科”建设高校,北京化工大学肩负着高层次创新人才培养和基础性、前瞻性科学研究以及原创性高新技术开发的使命。北京化工大学经过60年的建设已经发展成为理科基础坚实,工科实力雄厚,管理学、经济学、法学、文学、教育学、哲学、医学等学科富有特色的多科性重点大学。在国家科技体制机制改革和“双一流”建设的形势下,国家自然科学基金已成为北京化工大学基础研究的重要支撑和科研经费的主要渠道之一,在鼓励原始创新、培养人才、产出成果和推动学科交叉建设等方面发挥了重要作用。北京化工大学的基础研究工作在国家自然科学基金资助下取得了较快的发展。值此北京化工大学建校60周年华诞之际,本文以我校2003年-2017年申请与获批国家自然科学基金数据库为基础,回顾了北京化工大学近十五来年国家自然科学基金项目的申请和资助情况,重点分析了北京化工大学国家自然科学基金项目资助数量、经费、类别、学部分布,以及负责人的学科、年龄、学历和职称分布,同时梳理了北京化工大学十五年以来国家自然科学基金项目管理工作情况,从国家自然科学基金项目的申报、执行过程、结题验收、项目经费、结余资金和档案归档管理等几个方面加以分析,总结了国家自然科学基金组织管理的工作成效、经验和不足。以期探索完善我校国家自然科学基金项目管理水平提升的有效途径,为今后学校制定科学发展战略和科技政策提供参考依据, 并对今后更加有效地促进学校基础研究的持续发展提出建议。     

Henry Tye: the future of theoretical physics and advice to young researchers

Professor Henry Tye (戴自海) is a world-renowned expert in theoretical particle physics, string theory and cosmology. He was recently the IAS Professor at the Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), and is the Horace White Professor of Physics (Emeritus) at Cornell University. He has a lot of experience in research status in both China and the United States. Recently, NSR invited Professor Yi-Fu Cai (蔡一夫) from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) to interview Prof. Tye on his personal views on the future of theoretical physics, his own experience, and his advice to young researchers.     

The energy and water cycles under climate change

Energy and water cycles have been a hot research topic in the global scientific community. The global climate change observed over the last century is having a profound impact on global and regional energy and water cycles, leading to more frequent extreme climatic events and affecting water security, ecosystem and socioeconomic development around the world. The impact is especially obvious over the highland regions such as the Tibetan Plateau. Here we have an interview with one of world''s most renowned experts in hydroclimatology, Professor Soroosh Sorooshian from the University of California at Irvine, to share his insights on the subject of energy and water cycles.     

Mission and challenges of higher education: an interview with G.Q. Max Lu,the president of the University of Surrey

The University of Surrey (referred to as Surrey hereafter) is one of the renowned universities in the UK that was established on 9 September 1966 with the grant of its Royal Charter and its roots go back to Battersea Polytechnic Institute, founded in 1891. Surrey is the research hub of small satellites, mobile telecommunication and artificial intelligence in Europe. In 2016, Surrey was named as ‘University of the Year’ in the UK and, in February 2018, Surrey won the Queen''s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education (Surrey''s fourth award)—the highest national award for the UK universities, in recognition of the outstanding contribution of Surrey to nutrition and health.The president and vice chancellor of Surrey, Professor Max Lu, took this position in 2016 and is also the first scholar of Chinese origin to be the leader of a British university. Before he joined Surrey, he was the provost and senior vice president at the University of Queensland in Australia. Professor Lu is not only a talented leader in education field, but also a distinguished scientist in materials chemistry and nanotechnology area. He has been honored with numerous awards, including the Orica Award, RK Murphy Medal, China International Science and Technology Award and Medal of the Order of Australia, etc. He has been also appointed to the Prime Minister''s Council for Science and Technology and the Board of UK Research and Innovation, etc. The rich experience and open-mindedness lead to his profound insights into higher education around the world. Lately elected as a fellow of Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) and foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Lu shared his broad and deep perspectives on higher education with National Science Review during his travel in Beijing.     

The past and future of USTC: an interview with USTC President Xinhe Bao

The University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) is located in Hefei, the capital of Anhui province, and has its own characteristics among the universities in China. Established by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), USTC is distinctively tinted with a scientific color. It is also famous for its ‘Special Class for the Gifted Young’ and is considered one of the best Chinese universities in the fields of science and technology (S&T). Recently, National Science Review interviewed Professor Xinhe Bao, the President of USTC, about the characteristics of the university and the education and research in China. Xinhe Bao is an academician of CAS and has made seminal contributions in catalysis and energy chemistry in the past decades. Before joining USTC, he had worked at Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP), CAS and Fudan University (Shanghai), and thus possesses an in-depth understanding of the education and research in China.     

非竞争性经费支持高校交叉学科研究的探索

交叉学科研究日益成为推动科学技术发展的重要动力,但在国内高校长期得不到有力支持.以中央高校基本科研业务费的实施为契机,北京大学等综合性研究型大学正在积极探索通过非竞争性经费支持交叉学科研究项目的体制机制.以不同学科之间的集成、互补、融合为目标,利用非竞争性经费支持人才队伍建设、基础平台建设及重大项目培育,采取灵活的管理机制,将有利于交叉学科研究工作的全面开展.     

The 2008 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Chemistry is presented to Albert Eschenmoser, Dr. sc.nat

The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, awards the 2008 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Chemistry to Professor Albert Eschenmoser for his seminal efforts in the chemical etiology of nucleic acid structure, which through systematic exploration employing chemical synthesis of potentially natural structural alternatives to DNA, demonstrated that Watson-Crick base pairing is not unique to the ribofuranosyl system, and that DNA’s structure represents an optimization of several factors rather than a maximization of base-pairing strength.In his early scientific career, Professor Albert Eschenmoser established himself as one of the premier synthetic organic chemists in the world, with the monumental achievement of two total syntheses of Vitamin B₁₂, the first in collaboration with Professor Robert B. Woodward of Harvard University.However, since the 1980s, Professor Eschenmoser has concentrated his research interest in establishing the area of chemical etiology of nucleic acid structures to understand better the structural and functional uniqueness of the molecular basis of nature’s genetic information carrier—DNA and RNA. This systematic investigation of potential natural nucleic acid alternatives has demonstrated experimentally that Watson-Crick base pairing is not a unique property of DNA and RNA. Moreover, his research on homo-DNA revealed that the helicality of the famous double-stranded DNA is a direct outcome of the 5-membered ring nature of the deoxyribofuranose structure unit, while the study on p-RNA demonstrated that nature did not choose her genetic system by the standard of maximal base pairing strength, but instead optimization. Of equal significance, his recent design and synthesis of TNA (α-threofuranosyl nucleic acid), found to possess extraordinary base-paring properties, led to the hypothesis suggesting TNA as a possible precursor to the “RNA World”. Finally, his research on the correlation between the differences in the pKa of nucleic bases and their base-pairing strength led to a novel principal for the selection of nucleic base alternatives with proper bonding strength.     

Academic organizations and new industrial fields: Berkeley and Stanford after the rise of biotechnology

The increasing intertwining of academic and commercial research networks has led to fundamental changes in the organization of modern science. Industry links not only affect the professional dynamics within individual scholarly communities but also affect the position of these communities in their broader academic environment. This paper outlines how industry ties open up opportunities for scientific institution builders to strengthen the legitimacy of their fields of scientific enquiry within this environment. How an academic environment shapes efforts by institution-builders to pursue these opportunities is examined in the context of reorganizations in the life sciences at the University of California at Berkeley and Stanford University following the rise of biotechnology during the 1980s and 1990s. This study also highlights how different models of technology transfer shaped the organizational structures of the expansionist initiatives pushed through at these two universities by molecular biologists with close industry ties.     

Women scientists in China: current status and aspirations

Throughout history, gender inequality has persisted in most parts of the world. Since the founding of the People''s Republic of China (PRC) in 1949, substantial progress has been made towards gender equality in China. Today, a large number of Chinese women scientists are making significant contributions to advance science. However, are they facing gender discrimination in hiring and promotion? Do they have access to the same opportunities as their male colleagues? What are the potential approaches to further promote gender equality in China''s scientific community given myriad unfavorable social factors? Recently, NSR invited five Chinese female scientists and two gender experts to discuss these issues. Here are their observations and suggestions. Bing LiuProfessor at the Department of the History of Science, Tsinghua University Jun LuSenior Engineer at Beijing Institute of Tracking and Telecommunications Technology, and Deputy Chief Designer of BeiDou Grounded Test and Validation System Chih-chen WangProfessor at the Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences Hongyang WangPresident of the China Women''s Association for Science and Technology (CWAST), Director of the National Center for Science in Liver Cancer Xiaoyun WangC. N. Yang Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study, Tsinghua University Yan ZhengChair Professor at the School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology Wenpei Tang (Chair)Professor at the School of Health Humanities, Peking University     

中国农业大学2003-2009年国家自然科学基金项目申请和资助情况分析

对2003-2009年中国农业大学国家自然科学基金项目申请和资助情况进行统计分析,以期探寻学校开展基础研究工作的优势和不足,并对今后更加有效地开展国家自然科学基金管理工作,促进学校基础研究的持续发展提出建议。     

Predicament and outlook of China's math education

AbstractMathematics is the foundation of science and rational thinking. Math education for the younger generation is the fundamental project to upgrade the mathematical literacy and the creativity of the whole society. China''s education system has long been different from that of Western countries. China has fostered many gold medal winners of the International Mathematics Olympiad, but is also criticized as lacking creativity. In this NSR forum on math education in China, educators of high schools and universities as well as researchers of different scientific fields gather to talk about the current predicaments and future developments of China''s math education. Zenghu Li Mathematician; Professor of the School of Mathematical Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China Chao Tang Quantitative biologist; Director of the Center for Quantitative Biology, Peking University, Beijing, China Zhihong Xia Mathematician; Professor of Mathematics, Northwestern University, Evanston, USA and the Founding Chair of the Department of Mathematics, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China Jinlong Yang Computational chemist; Professor of the School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China Huawei Zhu Headmaster of Shenzhen Middle School, Shenzhen, China; Former leader and head coach of the national team of China for the International Mathematics Olympiad, China Gang Tian (Chair) Mathematician; Professor of the School of Mathematical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China     

Academic publishing riposte. Do not shoot the messenger

Iain Stevenson is Professor of Publishing and Director Emeritus of the Centre for Publishing at University College London. He has worked in the academic publishing area for many years and has been on the governing board of the Publishers’ Association. Current research is on the history of British publishing, on new publishing technology, and on the experiences of new authors in Britain and France.     

Book reviews

Alice Lam is Professor of Organisation Studies at the School of Management, Royal Holloway University of London. Her research focuses on the relationship between organizational forms, knowledge creation and societal institutions. Her current work examines the changing nature of academic scientific work and knowledge transfer between university and industry.     

行业特色型高校基础科研成效研究——以北京交通大学为例

创新引领发展,科技改变生活。党的十九大报告强调了创新的重要性,它是引领发展的第一动力。强大的基础科学研究作为建设世界科技强国的基石也占据着举足轻重的地位。在创新驱动发展的新时代,只有科技强才能国家强,只有基础强才能科技强。基础研究是推进科学技术进步的关键所在,基础研究的累积性进步和突破性发展能够引领带动科学、技术和创新发生整体性、格局性的深刻变化,进而对经济社会全面发展产生基础性、决定性和长期性影响及推动作用。高校是我国基础研究的生力军,其应当承担起国家基础研究的重任,作为基础研究的主要执行者和推动者。在我国,基础研究的主要资助渠道之一是国家自然科学基金委员会。教育部作为高校的上级主管部门,加强对中央高校自主开展科学研究的稳定支持,每年划拨经费支持高校基础研究,重点支持40周岁以下青年教师提升基本科研能力;支持在校优秀学生提升科研创新能力;支持优秀创新团队建设;开展多学科交叉的基础性、支撑性和战略性研究;加强科技基础性工作。在高校基础科研活动中,中央高校基本科研业务费、国家自然科学基金等基金类项目为高校基础研究提供强大的支持,高校也在其资助下取得了较大的成果。目前,针对科研成效评价有许多的研究,比如按照论文、奖励、专利等成果产出方式进行分析研究。针对科研成效评价研究可以对本单位的科研活动进行系统的梳理和对比,更好的服务于科研活动。因此,行业特色型高校基础科研成效分析因而意义重大。北京交通大学是教育部直属,教育部、北京市人民政府、中国铁路总公司共建的全国重点大学。北京交通大学是交通大学的三个源头之一,有着强烈的铁路行业特色。作为行业特色院校,在行业内有着较大影响力。本文以北京交通大学为例对行业特色高校基础研究项目成效进行了比对分析,为行业特色高校的基础研究提供建议与借鉴。     

行业特色型高校基础科研成效研究——以北京交通大学为例

创新引领发展，科技改变生活。党的十九大报告强调了创新的重要性，它是引领发展的第一动力。强大的基础科学研究作为建设世界科技强国的基石也占据着举足轻重的地位。在创新驱动发展的新时代，只有科技强才能国家强，只有基础强才能科技强。基础研究是推进科学技术进步的关键所在，基础研究的累积性进步和突破性发展能够引领带动科学、技术和创新发生整体性、格局性的深刻变化，进而对经济社会全面发展产生基础性、决定性和长期性影响及推动作用。高校是我国基础研究的生力军，其应当承担起国家基础研究的重任，作为基础研究的主要执行者和推动者。在我国，基础研究的主要资助渠道之一是国家自然科学基金委员会。教育部作为高校的上级主管部门，加强对中央高校自主开展科学研究的稳定支持，每年划拨经费支持高校基础研究，重点支持40周岁以下青年教师提升基本科研能力；支持在校优秀学生提升科研创新能力；支持优秀创新团队建设；开展多学科交叉的基础性、支撑性和战略性研究；加强科技基础性工作。在高校基础科研活动中，中央高校基本科研业务费、国家自然科学基金等基金类项目为高校基础研究提供强大的支持，高校也在其资助下取得了较大的成果。目前，针对科研成效评价有许多的研究，比如按照论文、奖励、专利等成果产出方式进行分析研究。针对科研成效评价研究可以对本单位的科研活动进行系统的梳理和对比，更好的服务于科研活动。因此，行业特色型高校基础科研成效分析因而意义重大。北京交通大学是教育部直属，教育部、北京市人民政府、中国铁路总公司共建的全国重点大学。北京交通大学是交通大学的三个源头之一，有着强烈的铁路行业特色。作为行业特色院校，在行业内有着较大影响力。本文以北京交通大学为例对行业特色高校基础研究项目成效进行了比对分析，为行业特色高校的基础研究提供建议与借鉴。     

John Hopcroft's views on China's education

Professor John Hopcroft at Cornell University is a Turing Prize winner (1986) and an educator with more than 55 years of teaching experience. For the past 10 years, Hopcroft has been coming to China to give courses to undergraduate students at Shanghai Jiaotong University (SJTU) and has helped SJTU to improve the quality of computer-science education. He also chairs the Center on Frontiers of Computing Studies at Peking University (PKU), the Turing Class at PKU and the Hopcroft Center at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) in Wuhan, and is engaged in many other projects aiming to upgrade China''s computer-science undergraduate education. Recently, NSR talked with Professor Hopcroft to learn his views on education in China.     

Drugs policy: rhetoric and political reality

Neil McKeganey is the founding director of the Centre for Drug Misuse Research within the University of Glasgow and has directed the research programme of the Centre since 1994. For the last 15 years, Professor McKeganey has concentrated on research within the drug misuse field and has undertaken work on drug injectors and HIV, prostitution, and drugs and young people. He has acted as an advisor to the UK Home Office, the World Health Organisation and the United States Department of Justice.     

Extreme weather and climate events in China under changing climate

In the summer of 2003, a heat wave swept Europe and caused more than 70 000 additional fatalities [J.-M. Robine et al., C. R. Biologies331 (2008)]. Global warming and climate change is no longer a prophecy to be fulfilled, as strong heat waves and typhoons, as well as severe rainfalls, are becoming more severe. Extreme weather and climate events in the world, especially over Europe and North America, are widely studied and frequently reported in the media. These events may be related to the ongoing climate change. In this NSR forum, active researchers specialized in this field gather to discuss the climate and weather changes in China. They present the current changes, identify knowledge gaps, discuss the research difficulties, and propose ways forward to better serve the society with climate science. Ying Sun Professor at the National Climate Center of the China Meteorological Administration, China Qiuhong Tang Professor at the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Zhongwei Yan Professor at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Jing Yang Professor at the Academy of Disaster Reduction and Emergency Management, faculty of Geographic Science of Beijing Normal University, China Panmao Zhai Professor at the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences of the China Meteorological Administration, and the current Co-Chair of the IPCC Working Group I, China Tianjun Zhou Professor at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Deliang Chen (Chair) Professor at the University of Gothenburg, NSR Editorial Board member, Sweden     

Patents,practical ethics and scientists

Peter Drahos is a Professor in the Regulatory Institutions Network, College of Asia Pacific, Australian National University and holds a Chair in Intellectual Property in the Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary, London University.