"Scientists study things, engineers build things." "We want to build a bridge for scientists and engineers so that the two organizations can connect and work together." On the morning of November 3, focusing on the engineering community and engineering science and technology innovation and development for the first time, the 5th World Top Scientists Forum - Engineering Science and Technology Innovation and Development Forum was held in Shanghai Science Hall, Nobel Prize winners, Turing Award winners and other top scientists and academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, representatives of outstanding engineers in Shanghai, and representatives of craftsmen of major countries carried out warm exchanges.
The 5th Forum of the World's Top Scientists on Engineering Science and Technology Innovation and Development
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Ma Lu, vice chairman and secretary of the Secretariat of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, Luo Hui, member of the party group of the China Association for Science and Technology and minister of international cooperation, Gong Ke, foreign academician of the Russian Academy of Astronautics, executive president of the China New Generation Artificial Intelligence Development Strategy Research Institute, member of the academic committee and former chairman of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations, and Ma Xingfa, secretary of the party group and vice chairman of the Shanghai Association for Science and Technology, attended the event and delivered speeches.
How should scientists and engineers interact?
Major scientific research projects are inseparable from the cooperation of scientists and engineers.
Barry Barish, winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics, used the laser interferometer LIGO to discover gravitational waves with Engineering and Physics Discoveries, vividly introducing how engineering and science interact to make scientific discoveries possible. "We need the help of accurate, systematic engineering to be able to run an instrument like LIGO that allows us to see a laser measurement as sensitive as minus 12 to the power of 10 and detect the presence of gravitational waves." Barry Barish said, "The construction of experiments requires basic knowledge such as modern physics and astronomy, and is an innovation made by advanced theoretical physicists, but also requires verification supported by advanced precision engineering. ”
Barry Barish participated in the 5th Forum of the World's Leading Scientists
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Adam Riess, an American astrophysicist and winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics, presented the case of working with engineers during work on the Hubble project. "Engineers play an important role in setting goals, breaking down the problem and having it tested by engineers according to their requirements, and finally forming a solution to achieve reliable results."
"Scientists need to be precise and leading-edged." Barry Barish advises that the interaction between engineers and scientists is very important, "to build a bridge between engineers and scientists, so that the two organizations can connect." Engineers do what they are good at, and implement manufacturing according to the needs of scientists. Second, it can also summarize the excellent experience in engineering and practical operation through machine learning. ”
Wang Meixiao, associate researcher of the Big Science Center of ShanghaiTech University and 2022 Shanghai Outstanding Engineer (Youth), also introduced the working practice of Shanghai Zhangjiang University Scientific Device to top overseas scientists, "This is a typical case of inseparable collaboration between scientists and engineers." Wang Meixiao pointed out that the intersection of multiple disciplines and fields is now required, which will inevitably put forward higher requirements for engineering technology, and only by continuously improving the ability of scientific detection and scientific research equipment can scientists carry out higher, deeper, broader and interdisciplinary scientific research.
Talk about the cultivation of excellent engineering talents for a rapidly developing future
The topic of future-oriented engineering talent training sparked heated discussions in the forum.
"Today's world is experiencing major changes unprecedented in a century, a new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation has accelerated its evolution, and higher education has also undergone profound changes." Ding Kuiling, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and executive vice president of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, delivered a keynote report entitled "Cultivating Outstanding Engineering Talents for the Future", outlining the profound changes in higher education under the unprecedented changes in the current century. Academician Ding Kuiling pointed out that in the era of knowledge explosion, the speed of scientific and technological development has been accelerating, and in many fields it has been significantly faster than the update speed of enterprises and teaching content; From the perspective of talent training, it is necessary to strengthen the professional construction of talents in short supply at present, and to take the initiative to lay out future disciplines in line with the development trend. Therefore, the talent training model should realize the transformation from a single discipline based on knowledge transfer to a composite type based on ability training. Ding Kuiling pointed out that "in the past, we used the knowledge of the past to cultivate current talents to solve future problems, and in the future, we must use the vision of the future to cultivate future talents and create the future world."
John Hopcroft, winner of the 1987 Turing Award who has long been engaged in science education, pointed out that it is necessary to cultivate cross-integrated compound talents, and cultivate their interests and talents as early as possible, even in elementary school. Only if you have seen enough fields can you find your interest.
Wang Wei, a special technician at COMAC Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Co., Ltd., pointed out that scientists and engineers should not focus on one field like technicians, but should focus on the whole process from conceptual design to final product. At the same time, he also emphasized the integration of technical talents and management talents, and put forward three suggestions for strengthening the diversity of higher education models, strengthening the retraining of engineering and technical personnel, and strengthening the training mode of integration of industry and education, "I think scientific thinking and engineering thinking are important elements of future talents." Interdisciplinary compound talents should truly implement innovation, creativity and creativity into engineering practice while having scientific thinking and engineering thinking. ”
Sustainable development requires the joint efforts of scientists and engineers around the world
Today's increasingly complex global challenges require closer scientific collaboration between scientists and engineers to achieve sustainable development.
Adam Rees stressed that international cooperation is very important, and only by working together can we jointly address the problems and major scientific challenges facing humanity. In his video message, Gong said that engineering and science play a vital role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and the global engineering community should strengthen interdisciplinary and cross-organizational international cooperation, which is also a necessary condition for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Sun Jinliang, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, director of the Composite Materials Research Center of Shanghai University and chairman of the Shanghai Engineer Society, pointed out that the forum was the first time to carry out activities with the theme of engineers, highlighting the increasing attention of the engineering community. Communicating with the world's top scientists and first-class engineering elites can not only help engineers broaden their horizons, understand the latest and most cutting-edge scientific ideas and methods, and carry out innovative thinking, but also may collide with sparks of cooperation. Ms. Zhu Meifang, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and dean of the School of Materials Science and Engineering of Donghua University, moderated the roundtable discussion, she said in the conclusion that scientific and technological innovation is the only choice to lead us to a more beautiful and far-reaching future, we should work together to integrate engineering technology and basic research more closely, through close global cooperation to build a future-oriented team of scientists and engineers, and continuously improve the well-being of mankind.
The 5th Forum of the World's Top Scientists on Engineering Science and Technology Innovation and Development
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During this forum, the first "Shanghai Outstanding Engineer" and "Shanghai Outstanding Engineer (Youth)" certification ceremony was also held, and 19 engineers who were selected as "Shanghai Outstanding Engineer" and "Shanghai Outstanding Engineer (Youth)" for "solving complex engineering problems" appeared at the forum, covering fields such as integrated circuits, medical devices, aerospace, shipbuilding, marine equipment, new energy, new materials, and engineering innovation that integrates artificial intelligence and manufacturing.
The 5th Forum of the World's Top Scientists on Engineering Science and Technology Innovation and Development
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Under the guidance of the China Association for Science and Technology and the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the forum was hosted by the world's top scientists association, Shanghai Science and Technology Association, Shanghai Federation of Trade Unions, Shanghai Municipal Economic and Information Commission, and participated by the Shanghai Institution of Engineers.
Source: Forum of the World's Top Scientists