Professor Wuhan University was selected as one of the "35 People Under 35 Years old in scientific and technological innovation" in the Asia-Pacific region, and was once a teenager who dropped out of school and almost went to sell pork

Chen Chaoji was at the award ceremony

□ Li Lili, a reporter for the Chutian Metropolis Daily

On October 28, the list of "35 people under the age of 35" in the Asia-Pacific region selected by the MIT Technology Review was released. Chen Chaoji is the only scholar from Wuhan.

Founded in 1899 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States, MIT Technology Review has gradually become one of the world's most authoritative technology business media for more than 100 years. In order to encourage innovation and breakthrough among young people in science and technology, MIT Science and Technology Review has set up a list of "35 people under the age of 35".

Jimu News reporter found that in 2020, Chen Chaoji was selected into Stanford University's list of "Top 2% Of the World's Top Scientists". The young professor, who graduated from Huazhong University of Science and Technology and is currently teaching at Wuhan University, is only 34 years old this year.

Chen Chaoji's path to study was quite bumpy, and after experiencing a teenager dropping out of school, he worked hard to become stronger and finally came to the forefront of the academic field.

Late at night on October 29, Chen Chaoji, who was attending the award ceremony in Hangzhou, was interviewed by a reporter from Jimu News by phone.

Teenagers who dropped out of school almost went to sell pork

Chen Chaoji is a native of Guangdong and was born into a farming family on the seashore in Leizhou, Zhanjiang. Before graduating from elementary school, he was told by his father that he could not continue his education due to the family's financial difficulties.

Chen Chaoji dropped out of school, but he did not stop his desire to read. He remembered the self-study deeds of Hua Luogeng in the textbook, and he was very inspired, and in his early teens, he understood a truth, "Not attending classes in school does not mean that you cannot thirst for knowledge and absorb knowledge." ”

At that time, Chen Chaoji had to do farm work during the day, and he also had to go to the beach to catch snail crabs and pick up plastic bottles to subsidize his family; at night, he lit a kerosene lamp and taught himself in the dim light. His favorite subjects were mathematics and physics, and he continued to study for two years of junior high school.

The reporter asked him: "If I hadn't studied at that time, what would it be now?" ”

"If I hadn't studied, I should be selling pork now..." Chen Chaoji said with a smile.

Chen Chaoji taught himself at home for more than two years, and one day his father called him to go to his cousin to learn to sell pork, and his tears flowed down at that time. Fortunately, his friend told him that the middle school in the town had a junior high school top class exam, and if he was admitted, he could directly go to the third grade.

Either go back to school or go sell pork. He chose to fight.

Chen Chaoji was admitted to the top three grades of junior high school with a score of a few tens of points, and soon became the first in the class. Before the middle school entrance examination, he was sent to the zhanjiang No. 2 Middle School experimental class in advance to attend high school for free.

In 2006, he was admitted to the School of Materials Science and Technology of Huazhong University of Science and Technology with excellent results.

In college, fate finally changed. However, Chen Chaoji, who had worked hard, had another period of "confused days". For a while, he went to the Internet café almost every week, and once used to surf the Internet for 48 hours continuously, and finally he was pulled back from the Internet café by the class teacher. In the final exam of the first semester, he finished eighth from the bottom of the class.

Thinking that the opportunity to read was not easy to come by, Chen Chaoji quickly sobered up. In 2010, he became one of the three phD students in his major to escort the school. Later, he went to the University of Maryland, Park for postdoctoral research.

R&D super wood is as strong as steel

From 2017 to May 2021, Chen Chaoji participated in the development of a super wood in the United States, which is as strong as steel, but only one-sixth the density of steel. This lightweight and high-strength material has great application potential in the field of lightweight vehicles and energy-saving buildings, and is expected to partially replace high-energy-consuming, high-density steel structural materials.

With the 26th session of the UN Climate Assembly (COP26) just around the corner, carbon neutrality is the key word to reduce world greenhouse gas emissions.

Chen Chaoji said that the super wood that he participated in as one of the core members of the team to develop alternative steel, as well as low-cost, high-performance wood-based batteries and solar evaporators, is one of the feasible ways to solve the material-energy-environment challenges faced in the process of moving towards carbon neutrality.

After completing his postdoctoral work at the University of Maryland at Park in May, he chose to return to China to join the School of Resources and Environmental Sciences at Wuhan University.

Chen Chaoji said: "The more I know about the outside world and people, the more I feel that I am small and lack of knowledge, and I need to always maintain my original intention and maintain my thirst for knowledge and absorption, which may be one of the endogenous driving forces and beliefs that support me to keep moving forward." And he is also fortunate that the companionship and support of relatives, teachers, friends, colleagues and students are another warm and powerful force that supports him to keep moving forward.

Source: Jingchu Network