Honor classes in China's higher education: perspectives from four universities

Ever since the University of Science and Technology of China started the Special Class for the Gifted Young in 1978, many Chinese universities have set up their own honor classes under different names such as Gifted Young Class, Basic Science Class, Experimental Class or Elite Class. These are often small classes; some emphasize mathematics and physics, aiming to cultivate talents with broad basic knowledge, while others focus on a particular discipline, such as computer science. In 2011, the Chinese Ministry of Education started the Experimental Program for the Cultivation of Top Talents in Basic Sciences, which boosted a new round of honor classes.How do these classes cultivate their students? Which kinds of special strategies are employed? Have they indeed fostered outstanding graduates? How did the students develop after graduation? On the other hand, are these classes a violation of the spirit of ‘equity in education’? Trying to answer these questions, in this NSR forum chaired by Professor Zhenjiang Hu, educators from four Chinese universities exchanged their experiences, views and perspectives on running the honor classes. Baoquan Chen Executive Director of the Center on Frontiers of Computing Studies, School of Electronics Engineering and Computer Science, Peking University. (Turing Class, Peking University.) Changqing Chen Professor and Head of the Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University. (Tsien Excellence in Engineering Program, Tsinghua University.) Zhenyu Li Professor of the School of Chemistry and Materials Science, University of Science and Technology of China. (School of the Gifted Young, University of Science and Technology of China.) Yong Yu Professor of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. (ACM Class, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.) Ming Zhang Chair of the ACM Special Interest Group of Computer Science Education (SIGCSE) China; Professor of the School of Electronics Engineering and Computer Science, Peking University. Zhenjiang Hu (Chair) Dean of School of Computer Science, Peking University.     

Research ethics: a safeguard for advanced technologies

With the fast development of cutting-edge technologies and their greater integration into human life, more ethical challenges emerge. The problem became more salient when the world''s first genetically edited babies were born in China in violation of existing ethical rules. Although the responsible researcher He Jiankui was sentenced for imprisonment for three years last December, it is still necessary to examine the current status of research ethics and the challenges in China. Has China set up a sophisticated research ethics system? For research ethics and their implementation in China, are there unique national characteristics? Can the dominant ethics principles primarily developed from life science research be equally adopted in the emerging artificial intelligence research and development? At an online forum organized by National Science Review (NSR) and through subsequent correspondences among forum participants, NSR Executive Editor-in-Chief Mu-ming Poo and guest moderator Hepeng Jia asked three scientists and three bioethicists or philosophers of science and technology in the field to examine the dynamic development of research ethics in China. Weiwen DuanPhilosopher of Science and Technology at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China Junjiu HuangLife scientist focused on genetics at Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China Renzong QiuBioethicist at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, China Qiang SunLife scientist and the principal investigator (PI) of clone monkey program at Shanghai Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China Yi ZengArtificial intelligence scientist at Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China Xiaomei ZhaiBioethicist at Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China Mu-ming Poo (Chair)Neurobiologist at Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China Hepeng Jia (Co-chair)Professor of Science Communication at Soochow University, Suzhou, China     

Blockchain technology: development and prospects

It has been more than 10 years since Satoshi Nakamoto published his famous paper entitled ‘Bitcoin: a peer-to-peer electronic cash system’, which set the foundation of blockchain technology. Accompanied by the price volatility of bitcoins from 2017 to 2018, blockchain has been a hot word on the internet, and particularly hot in China. Blockchain offers a distributed and secure system for data storage and value transactions. Its applications are springing up in multiple fields.The Chinese government is considering these trends with great caution. Initial coin offering has been banned in China since September 2017. By contrast, an official white paper on China''s blockchain technology, which was released in May 2018, said that blockchain technology will be widely applied in the real economy of China within 3 years. In a recent panel discussion held by National Science Review, experts talked about related topics. Their opinions may provide a quick view of the future development of blockchain in China and abroad. Jing Chen Assistant Professor of Computer Science Department, Stony Brook University and Chief Scientist at Algorand LLC, USA Xiaotie Deng Professor of School of Electronics Engineering and Computer Science, Peking University, China Guohua Gan Vice President of Beijing Tai Cloud Technology Corp., China Xiaoyun Wang Professor of Institute of Advanced Study, Tsinghua University, China Zhiming Zheng Professor of School of Mathematics and Systems Science, Beihang University, China Lei Guo (Chair) Professor of Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China     

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     

Paleontology: advancing China's international leadership

In recent years, Chinese scientists have achieved significant progress in paleontological discoveries and scientific studies. Series of studies published in top journals, such as Science, Nature and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), have astonished the world by presenting beautiful fossils that furnish robust evidence to enrich the understanding of organismic evolution, major extinctions and stratigraphy. It has been portrayed as the heyday in the paleontology of China. What is the status of the field? What factors have caused the avalanche of fossil discoveries in China? What implications can these new discoveries provide for our understanding of current evolution theories? How, given their significant contribution to the world''s paleontology scholarship, can Chinese scientists play a due leadership role in the field? At an online forum organized by the National Science Review (NSR), its associate editor-in-chief, Zhonghe Zhou, asked four scientists in the field as well as NSR executive editor-in-chief Mu-ming Poo to join the discussion. Jin Meng Paleobiologist at American Museum of Natural History Mu-ming Poo Neurobiologist at Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shuzhong Shen Stratigrapher at Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shuhai Xiao Paleobiologist and geobiologist at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Zhonghe Zhou (Chair) Paleobiologist at Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP), Chinese Academy of Sciences     

中国低碳研究的知识图谱分析

分析中国低碳研究领域的研究热点、代表学者、主要研究机构、重要载文期刊等,对清楚认识和把握中国低碳研究的现状具有一定的意义。基于知识图谱理论,本文采用Citespace软件,对CNKI中2003年-2011年间的低碳研究的相关文献进行分析,绘制中国低碳研究的关键词、作者、机构、期刊等知识图谱。分析结果显示,目前我国低碳研究主要围绕低碳经济、低碳城市、低碳技术、低碳社会、低碳农业、低碳旅游、低碳消费展开;陈晓春、庄贵阳、杨志、诸大建等为我国低碳研究领域的重要学者,并且我国低碳研究领域的学者基本处于独自研究的状态;中国社会科学院、清华大学、四川大学、湖南大学、中国人民大学等为主要的研究机构;《环境保护》、《生态经济》、《中国人口·资源与环境》等为高载文期刊。     

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.     

Agriculture: science and technology safeguard sustainability

China has traditionally placed tremendous importance on agricultural research. Meanwhile, in recent years, sustainable agriculture has been increasingly highlighted in both policy agenda and the capital market. However, while terms like environmental friendliness, low carbon, organic and green agriculture have become buzzwords in the media, few meaningful discussions have been raised to examine the relationship between science and technology (S&T) development and sustainable agriculture. What''s more, some environmentalists stress that sustainable agriculture should abandon modern agriculture''s heavy reliance on science and industrialization, making the link between agricultural S&T and sustainable agriculture seem problematic. What is the truth? If S&T are to play an important role in advancing sustainable agriculture, what is the current status of the field? What factors have caused the sustainable development of agriculture in China? At an online forum organized by the National Science Review (NSR), Hepeng Jia, commissioned by NSR executive editor-in-chief Mu-ming Poo, asked four scientists in the field to examine the dynamic relationship between sustainable agriculture and agricultural S&T in the Chinese context. Jikun Huang Agricultural economist at Peking University, Beijing, China Xiaofeng Luo Agricultural economist at Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China Jianzhong Yan Agricultural and environmental scientist at Southwest University, Chongqing, China Yulong Yin Veterinary scientist at Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha, China Hepeng Jia (Chair) Science communication scholar at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA     

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.     

Science communication in China: a critical component of the global science powerhouse

China has attached a great significance to bringing science to the public—known as kepu (科普, ‘science popularization’) or kexue chuanbo (科学传播, ‘science dissemination’)—in recent years, partly in response to its unprecedented push for innovation in science and technology. In 2018, it spent 16 billion yuan (US$2.3 billion) on such endeavours, nearly 80% of which was government funding, according to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Science and Technology. With one science-education venue for every million people, approximately 76 million visits were made to the country''s 518 general-science museums and 142 million visits were made to 943 museums dedicated to a specific subject matter, such as the Geological Museum of China.In a forum chaired by National Science Review’s executive editor-in-chief, Mu-ming Poo, scientists, journalists and public-information officers discussed the differences in science communication between China and developed nations, the challenges and opportunities of raising scientific literacy in China, how it has played out in a wide range of controversial topics, from stem-cell research to climate change, and the importance of international collaboration. Tao Deng Director of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China Hepeng Jia Science journalist and science-communication scholar at Soochow University, Suzhou, China Brian Lin Director of the Editorial Content Strategy, EurekAlert!, American Association of the Advancement of Science, Washington DC, USA Joy Ma Manager of the Editorial Content, EurekAlert!, American Association of the Advancement of Science, Washington DC, USA Lai Xu Former chief editor of Guokr.com, Beijing, China Shi Yan Deputy director of the China Research Institute for Science Popularisation, Chinese Association of Science and Technology, Beijing, China Mu-ming Poo (Chair) Director of the Insitute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China     

基于低碳偏好下的制造商信息收集与质量披露策略

研究基于消费者低碳偏好下,供应链中制造商对于信息收集与质量披露策略选择的问题,建立考虑消费者低碳偏好时的制造商和零售商之间的博弈模型;通过对信息收集和质量披露策略不同选择下供应链决策结果的比较,分析制造商在不同策略选择下的收益差异,得出质量披露成本和消费者低碳偏好差异程度与制造商策略选择之间的变化规律。最后,通过算例分析对于研究结论进行说明和验证。     

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.     

Changes of air quality during the pandemic and airborne transmission issues

The COVID-19 pandemic has killed more than 1 000 000 people within nine months in 2020. The world is changed as the cities were locked down, the traffic reduced, and people forced to work from home and keep social distance. These controlling measures also resulted in drastic reduction of the emission of many air pollutants, providing researchers an unprecedented large-scale natural experiment in examining how the air quality would respond to a strong forcing. In this panel discussion held on 22 September 2020, five experts gathered to discuss their observations and analyses, as well as the current understanding and misconception about airborne transmission.This Forum article is dedicated to Prof. Martin Williams of the Imperial College London, who intended to join the panel discussion but passed away one day before it. Guy Brasseur Professor of Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Germany Junji Cao Professor of Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Aijun Ding Dean and Professor of School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, China Lidia Morawska Professor of Queensland University of Technology, Australia Tong Zhu (Chair) Dean and Professor of College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, China     

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.     

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     

科技人才政策助推世界科技强国建设——以国际科技人才引进政策突破为例

2016年5月,习近平总书记发出了"为建设世界科技强国而奋斗"的号召,并在"科技三会"上明确了"我国要建设世界科技强国,关键是要建设一支规模宏大、结构合理、素质优良的创新人才队伍"。近年来,我国相继出台各项政策以构建科技人才队伍。在引进全球科技人才方面,公安部在上海、北京、广东等地,依托对人才、企业、产业具有高度聚集效应和政策先行优势的中国(上海)自由贸易试验区、中关村国家自主创新示范区等园区推出了一系列政策,在聚集科技人才方面发挥了重要的作用。文章对科技人才、科技人才政策及其对世界科技强国的作用做了简单阐述,分析了我国国际科技人才出入境政策突破现状、国内外最新发展形势,提出了放宽外国留学生在华实习就业限制、吸引优秀留学人员回国创新创业、实施华裔卡制度吸引海外科技专业人士贡献力量、推动科技人才职业资格国际认证、进一步推动创新资源向国际开放、强化知识产权保护和服务等政策建议,以期助推我国世界科技强国建设。     

我国拔尖创新人才的选拔与培养——基于教育实践的多案例循证研究

拔尖创新人才的培养问题广受关注,我国在该领域开展了诸多有益实践,尤其是高等教育阶段已形成各具特色的拔尖人才培养模式。通过对中国科学技术大学少年班、西安交通大学少年班、北京大学元培学院、清华大学钱学森力学班和深圳零一学院的人才选拔与培养经验进行探索性案例研究,分析得出当前我国拔尖创新人才教育凸显多元化选拔、进阶式培养和理解性支持的特色。面向拔尖创新人才培养的迫切需求,要从选拔、培养和支持服务等方面为人才提供适合的成长途径与发展环境,拓宽人才选拔视野,重视人才早期培养,并通过政策保障特色化育人实践。     

上海高校科研创新效率与影响因素实证研究——基于DEA-Tobit模型

基于知识生产理论,采用DEA-Tobit两步法对2012—2016年上海17家高校的科研创新效率进行了分析,发现处于科研创新效率最优状态的高校数量较少。除上海大学之外,上海市属高校科研要素投入不足限制了其科研创新效率的进一步提升,亦导致了市属高校与教育部直属高校的技术效率存在显著差距。其次,影响因素Tobit模型回归表明,当前上海高校总体处于人力资本"稀缺"、物资资本"丰裕"的发展阶段,未来上海高校科研创新效率提升需要将视角转向依靠人力资本积累上来;同时,物质资本对科研创新效率的倒"U"型影响已经显现,资本拥挤问题亟待引起重视。     

科学基金助力女性科研人员成长：政策、成效与展望

女性科研人员是科学技术研究队伍中的一支关键力量。2010年起,国家自然科学基金委员会推出了支持女性科研人员的一系列举措,得到了科技界的广泛好评。政策实施10年来,国家自然科学基金逐渐成为女性科研人员成长的摇篮,在提高女性在科研中的参与度、增加哺乳期女性申请和获资助机会、助推高层次女性科研人员成长发展、提高科技领域性别平等意识等方面取得了显著的成效。为进一步促进科研领域中的性别平等,结合影响我国女性科技人才成长的主要障碍和政策不足,文章提出新时代要强化政策协同,完善高层次女性科研人员脱颖而出机制、更好地发挥女性在科技活动中的咨询决策作用等具体政策建议。     

非专利实施主体的发展及其对我国专利运营模式的启示

近年来非专利实施主体的迅速发展对经济社会产生了重要影响,引起了世界各国的关注,我国企业尤其中小企业需要扬长避短应对非专利实施主体的攻势,避免阻碍各产业的技术创新。分析非专利实施主体类型、运营模式及其带来的主要影响,以高智公司为例研究其发展历程、讨论其对国内企业可能造成的影响,借鉴国内外关于规制非专利实施主体的立法和实践等,从而提出建立和完善我国专利运营模式的可行性措施,并对我国专利运营模式未来的发展等方面提出建议。