Keep your love and go to the mountains and seas
- Remarks at the 2024 Graduate Graduation Ceremony
Class of 2000 alumnus of the Department of Electronics, Pan Shilong
Dear Teachers and Students,
Hello everyone! I am Pan Shilong, a 2000-level undergraduate student in the Department of Electronics and a 2004-level doctoral student. I am very grateful to my alma mater for giving me the precious opportunity to witness the graduation of all the students as alumni representatives. First of all, allow me to extend my warmest congratulations to all of you!
Sixteen years ago, I attended the graduation ceremony and walked out of Tsinghua Park, just like you. At that time, the excitement and throbbing, longing and confusion, attachment and reluctance to try, I believe that you also feel the same today. 16 years have passed, and I have also written my youth in scientific research for more than ten years. Today, taking advantage of the moment of going to the mountains and seas together, I would like to share with you my three "loves":
First, love and dedication. When I was in college, I signed up for a practical space activity organized by the school, and at a hospital, I saw with my own eyes the important weapon of the country that was being tested. The senior who participated in the development was only two or three years older than me, and I was deeply touched by the pride on his face when he commented. In October 2010, after completing my postdoctoral research abroad, I chose to join Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics with my love and vision for aerospace. At that time, China Southern Airlines did not have any foundation in my direction, and it lacked instruments and equipment. However, I had no contact with China Southern Airlines before, and I only stepped into the school gate for the first time during the interview, and I was really unfamiliar with my life, and I was faced with the dilemma of starting without a team, no students, no equipment, and no funds. When you encounter difficulties, do you complain about the environment or embrace the change and adapt positively? Tsinghua people's choice has always been to move forward bravely. I found the old professors of the school, learned from them about the major achievements, important platforms and key talents of the school, and took the initiative to ask them how to combine my research on microwave photonics with the advantages of the school.
In the third month after returning to China, microwave photonics was included in the guidelines of the National Key Basic Research and Development Program (973 Program). I immediately found the advantageous team in this direction, explained the advantages and characteristics of China Southern Airlines to them, and introduced the broad application prospects of microwave photonics in the aerospace field. This is my first research project.
Combining my work with the characteristics of the unit is to turn the accumulation of the unit over the past many years into a solid foundation for myself, otherwise I would not have been able to participate in a major project like 973 without having anything. Since then, as soon as I have a good idea, I take the initiative to share it with my colleagues, inspire each other and learn from each other's strengths.
Those who borrow strength are clear, those who borrow wisdom are macro, and those who borrow power become successful. With the great help of the unit, the microwave photonics I studied has undergone a development process from scratch. In just three years, we have successfully been approved as the first key laboratory of the Ministry of Education in the field of microwave photonics. Last year, we successfully established the National Key Laboratory of Microwave Photonics Technology. I deeply realize that only love can last a long time. Only by deeply loving one's position and pouring enthusiasm into one's work will the results be like bright stars, illuminating the academic sky.
The second is self-improvement and self-love. Self-improvement is the spiritual background of Tsinghua people, and when we encounter challenges, we should stand up and rely on our own wisdom and courage to overcome difficulties. Self-love is first of all learning to accept one's imperfections, and a deeper level of self-love is the belief that oneself has unlimited potential. With the support of such belief, we can persevere in our efforts to overcome one problem after another in work and life, and write our own brilliant chapter.
As soon as I returned to China, I found that some high-end measuring instruments commonly used abroad were difficult to buy in China, which brought great difficulties to my research. If you want to become a scientific research power, you must first become an instrument power, and I am determined: independent research and development! After ten years of continuous exploration, my team and I finally found a new way, proposed a new optical vector analysis technology, and successfully developed a high-performance instrument, the resolution of which is thousands of times higher than that of the highest performance commercial instrument abroad. The instrument has also aroused great repercussions in the world, and has been evaluated as "the most effective method", "the best choice" and "the ideal way" by internationally renowned scholars. At present, leading domestic enterprises and major research institutes, including Huawei, have purchased the instrument in batches, supporting the development of hundreds of high-end optoelectronic chips, which are widely used in artificial intelligence, big data centers, 5G communications, national defense equipment, etc.
At the same time, with the support of self-developed advanced instruments, I led the team to successfully break through the problem of broadband signal generation and processing in the radar field, and developed an ultra-high-resolution microwave photonic real-time imaging radar, which realized real-time high-resolution imaging of small-sized targets for the first time. Independent innovation is not only an action, but also a kind of spiritual perseverance and perseverance. The spirit of Tsinghua is like a lighthouse guiding me forward, it teaches me to "strive for self-improvement" and encourages me to "do more than words". Let me keep persevering on the journey of independent innovation.
The third is patriotic struggle. Looking back at history, from the beacon fire of the "May Fourth Movement", to the cry of the "December 9" Movement, and then to the feat of "two bombs and one satellite", the stories of generations of Tsinghua seniors have always reminded us: "It is the responsibility of our generation to think about what the country thinks, to be anxious about what the country is anxious about, and to meet the needs of the country". Our generation is fortunate to be born in a great era and shoulder the mission and glory of the times. At Tsinghua University and China Southern Airlines, I have seen many teachers and alumni like me who can participate in major national projects and major projects such as domestic large aircraft, Tianwen, Chang'e, and Beidou at a young age. Born in a prosperous era and shouldering heavy responsibilities, students, do not live up to the trust of the great era!
Of course, the road to scientific research is not just an easy one. Whenever I encountered difficulties, the skills I learned at my alma mater and the selfless help given to me by alumni will always support me to overcome them step by step. Here, I would like to express my deep gratitude to my alma mater, which has made us who we are today.
Dear juniors, the curtain of the future journey is slowly unfolding, and the pen and ink that write wonderful stories are firmly in your hands, so that our hearts are full of love, bravely cross the mountains and seas under our feet, and strive to achieve our own colorful, so that the dream of serving the country releases the most beautiful brilliance. Best wishes to the students, and to my dear alma mater!
Thank you!
Source | Tsinghua University WeChat public account
Photography: Yang Yanbin
Typesetting & Editor|Yuan Jie
Audit|Xu Liang
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Contact email: [email protected]
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