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A top virologist, instead of studying life-saving viruses in the lab, lies on the floor in the cold doorway and protests against the forced closure of his laboratory. It is precisely at the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, where science encounters bureaucracy and ideals run into reality, that our protagonist, Professor Zhang Yongzhen, is not only lying at the door of the laboratory, but also lying in the public eye, triggering a heated discussion about the conflict between scientific research freedom and management.
It all started on April 28, on a seemingly ordinary spring afternoon, when Professor Zhang Yongzhen was suddenly notified that his virus lab needed to be emptied within two days due to "security modifications". Surprise, confusion, anger, and all kinds of emotions intertwined in Professor Zhang's heart, and he and his team were almost kicked out of their research positions for many years.
But the situation became more dramatic, and Professor Zhang decided to express his dissatisfaction and protest in an extreme way - he chose to spend the night in the cold wind outside the laboratory. Yes, you heard it right, a professor named one of the world's top 10 scientists by Nature magazine is lying in the door of the laboratory, and at this time, it is the spring rain.
The power of social media is enormous, and Professor Zhang's behavior quickly exploded on the Internet. From Weibo to Douyin, from the academic circle to the public sphere, countless netizens and peers were shocked by this scene and expressed their support and anger. They used words, sounds, and videos to express their sympathy for Professor Zhang and their dissatisfaction with this absurd management.
According to people familiar with the matter, behind this "farce", there are more despicable inside stories. The closure of the lab was not a temporary decision, but a well-planned "eviction operation".
Even more infuriating is the fact that the lab was accused of failing to meet the standards and rushed to close without giving a reasonable opportunity for improvement, putting years of hard work by Professor Zhang and his team and the results of research on unknown viruses in jeopardy.
In addition, there are rumors that Professor Zhang is being treated this way because of his outspokenness within the academic community and his criticism of certain research directions. This top scientist, because of his insistence on scientific truth and independent thinking, seems to have touched the sensitive nerves of some bureaucracy.
This incident quickly heated up and became the focus of discussion in all walks of life. Many people have begun to reflect on whether we are really respecting and supporting science? A country's progress depends on the importance it attaches to scientific research and the respect it has for scientists. What happened to Professor Zhang is not only a personal misfortune, but also a wake-up call for the whole society to the scientific research environment.
As the case of Professor Zhang continues to unfold, we look forward to a just solution. At the same time, it is also a reminder to all of us that research is not in isolation, it needs a healthy, respectful and understanding environment to shine brightest. Today it is Professor Zhang Yongzhen, and tomorrow it may be you and me. We need to take action to protect this fertile soil for scientific research, so that the seeds of science can grow freely and flourish here.