40 years of youth science education: outstanding talents "risked" out

"Why don't our schools always produce outstanding talents?"

At the S55th Xiangshan Science Conference held recently, Zhu Bangfen, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a professor of the Department of Physics of Tsinghua University, mentioned the famous "Qian Xuesen's Question" again.

Early discovery of tech talent

In fact, China began the exploration of the early cultivation of young scientific and technological talents 40 years ago.

In March 1978, the University of Science and Technology of China (UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY) created the Junior Class, which mainly recruits teenagers who have not yet completed regular secondary education but have excellent grades to receive university education, the purpose of which is to explore the law of the cultivation of outstanding talents in China, cultivate outstanding talents in the fields of science and technology, and promote the development of China's science and technology, education and economic construction. In 1985, on the basis of summarizing and absorbing the successful experience of the junior class, the University of Science and Technology of China launched the "Teaching Reform Pilot Class" (hereinafter referred to as the "Zero Zero Class") modeled on the model of the junior class, and the two types of students were uniformly managed by the Junior Class Management Committee.

Chen Yang, executive dean of the Junior Class College of the University of Science and Technology of China, said that as of August 2018, the junior class of the University of Science and Technology of China has graduated a total of 3162 students, trained more than 200 professors from well-known universities and scientific research institutions at home and abroad such as Zhuang Xiaowei and Luo Liqun, many of them have won academicians of the Academy of Sciences of China, the United States and other countries, and won many well-known scientific and technological awards at home and abroad, such as the National Natural Science Foundation of China Achievement Award and the Sloan Research Award of the United States.

In 1999, more than 60 scientists, including Academician Wang Shouzhen of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, jointly initiated the establishment of the "Beijing Youth Science and Technology Club". According to Kuang Tingyun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, more than 2,300 student members have participated in the scientific research practice training of the "Science and Technology Club" in the past 20 years. A group of former members, including Siyuan Wang, assistant professor of genetics and cell biology at Yale School of Medicine, have grown into international scientific leaders.

Kuang Tingyun believes that the competition for the comprehensive national strength of all countries in the world is, in the final analysis, the competition for talents, and we should persistently pay attention to and encourage the early discovery of scientific and technological reserve talents and create opportunities for them to become talents.

Let outstanding talents "risk" out

Shi Jiannong, a researcher at the Institute of Psychology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that the number of synapses in the brain is the largest in the 24-30 months after birth, and the plasticity of the human brain decreases year by year, so the training of scientific and technological talents should be "grasped from the doll".

"To carry out early training activities for young scientific and technological talents is to carefully create an environment that allows outstanding talents to 'emerge' on their own." Zhu Bangfen said.

Chen Yang introduced that the training process of the junior class of the University of Science and Technology of China gives students a high degree of autonomy, allowing students to "freely" choose courses, tutors, majors, and "independently" study and research.

Unfortunately, there are many people who have not been able to persevere on the road of scientific research, but have chosen to change careers. Chen Yang said that in the process of contact with young science and technology volunteers, do not overemphasize the hardships of scientific research, scientists can also become prominent figures in academic activities, "scientists can also live a very decent life." ”

In this way, students are more likely to persevere in the field of scientific research with full confidence.

Promote the cultivation of innovative thinking

Shi Jiannong said that a considerable number of new generations of scientific and technological talents have been lost overseas. Data show that in 2013, China's national financial education expenditure was 2,448.8 billion yuan, while the expenditure on self-funded study abroad and preparation for going abroad reached 594 billion yuan that year. The loss of a large amount of talent and money overseas is a stifling.

In this regard, Wang Siyuan, who walked out of the "Science Club" more than a decade ago and walked all the way into Yale University, has his own views. He believes that China's outstanding talents have the opportunity to go abroad to broaden their horizons and obtain more superior educational resources.

And in his contacts, many people are still willing to return to China, and now the rapid development of the domestic economy has attracted many overseas talents, and the founders of many "hard technology" entrepreneurial projects are returnees.

Inspired by the great success of the junior class and the "Science Club", many social resources have recognized the importance of early training of scientific and technological talents, so the Beijing Municipal Education Commission launched the "Soaring Plan" in 2008, and the China Association for Science and Technology and the Ministry of Education also launched the "Talent Program" in 2013.

"Creating opportunities for tomorrow's outstanding scientists." Kuang Tingyun appealed that the Beijing Youth Science Club should persist in taking the road of differentiation, and the mentors of the club are composed of front-line scientists, and at the same time adhere to the public welfare of "de-utilitarianization", which is separated from "test-taking education" and "competition-oriented education", so as to conform to the law of scientific talent and is conducive to promoting the cultivation of young people's innovative thinking and scientific spirit.