Director Zhang: TDLI to drive China's Development

At the award ceremony of the Future Science Award in late 2021, Zhang Jie, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a professor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), accepted his award as the winner of the 2021 Physical Science Prize, where he gave an impromptu acceptance speech about the responsibility of scientists to solve social development problems and his own interest in exploring the mysteries of the universe. On November 28, 2021, Academician Zhang Jie took over as the director of Tsung-Dao Lee Institute (TDLI), located in the middle of the Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Center.

Zhang Jie has been the president of Shanghai Jiao Tong University for ten years since 2006. During his stewardship, Shanghai Jiao Tong University went through substantial reforms and became one of the fastest-growing universities in China. Now, it is ranked as one of the top 50 universities globally.

The establishment of the Tsung-Dao Lee Institute could be traced back to the inauguration of Tsung-Dao Lee Library in SJTU in late 2014 when Prof. Tsung-Dao Lee wrote to the central government advising it to build a globally recognized, first-class research institute. The institute should attract the world’s top scientists, foster an academic atmosphere of free exploration, cultivate leading scientists, and drive significant progress in physics and related interdisciplinary research. This proposal was expeditiously ratified, and TDLI was established in SJTU.

During Jie’s term, Prof. Lee had great faith in Jie and subsequently bestowed his life-long collection on SJTU, which includes a large number of precious scientific and artistic treasures, his Nobel prize medal, and his residence in Shanghai. In late 2021, Frank Wilczek, TDLI’s founding director and a Nobel Laureate himself in physics, passed directorship to Zhang Jie and served as TDLI’s Chief Scientist.

From being the president of a university to the head of a research institute, Zhangjie is now tasked with the responsibility of making TDLI an institute with the ambition of solving humanity’s hardest riddles into a world-class facility. And with great power comes great responsibilities-one can only wonder about the challenges that await him.

Days ago, he accepted an exclusive interview with Wenhui Daily and talked about the responsibility of major scientific institutes and the importance of nurturing the right mindset in science and art education.

From the Language of Heaven to the Rationale of Matter, a master’s influence is everywhere.

Wenhui Daily: During your presidency at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Prof. Tsung-Dao Lee has built close contact with the University. You once talked about your friendship with Prof. Lee. What are some things about him that left a deep impression on you?

Zhang Jie:

Dating back to the period between 2003 and 2006, I was serving as the Head of the Chinese Delegation for the China-US High Energy Physics Collaboration Joint Committee initiated by Prof. Lee years earlier. I was fortunate to be personally mentored by Prof. Lee. The Collaboration meant a lot to him and was embedded into his long-term plans to develop China’s higher education and science and technology.

Ever since Prof. Lee’s first visit back to China in 1972, he has been thinking about promoting the development of science and education in China. He gave constructive suggestions that were adopted at every critical stage of China’s science and education development, laying down the foundation.

As early as 1974, during his second return to China, he suggested to President Mao and Premier Zhou that certain universities should establish a special class for gifted youths. The suggestion indicated his belief that China should resume the college entrance examination or Gaokao, bringing the country’s higher education back on the right path.

Starting from 1979, he spearheaded the China-US High Energy Physics Collaboration that laid the foundation for constructing extensive science facilities in China. China-US High Energy Physics Collaboration is the first scientific cooperation agreement between the two governments, kindling subsequent bilateral cooperation in other fields. Starting from nothing, for more than 40 years, China’s high-energy physics research has made significant progress. Not only has a world-class experimental base and research team been established, but the establishment of the Beijing Electron Positron Collider (BEPC), Beijing Spectrometer (BES) Experiment, Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment and other significant scientific facilities and particle physics experiments are also flourishing due to the agreement.

Starting from 1980, Lee spent ten years creating the China-U.S. Physics Examination and Application (CUSPEA) program, which facilitated nearly a thousand Chinese students for further study abroad. In 1985, China’s postdoctoral system was established under his suggestion. In 1986, he advanced the establishment of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the China Center of Advanced Science and Technology (CCAST).

As a titan in the world of science, Lee recognized earlier than most people that China’s large population was its greatest boon. Utilizing its population advantage and turning it into talent was crucial for the development of China. 

Lee is a maestro of science, and his influence can be felt everywhere. I am particularly impressed by his unique perspective.

When he worked at CCAST, we walked across the newly renovated Sihuan Road. After crossing the road, Prof. Lee wondered why Beijing’s road was so congested. From my perspective, it was simply because the streets in Beijing were not wide enough. But Lee pointed out that the wide roads were the reason for Being’s traffic problem.

Although he is a theorist, Lee is a strong proponent of experimentalism. He suggested that we test out our theory on the spot, observing the duration of traffic lights and how the pedestrians crossed the road. It turned out that it was difficult for people with reduced mobility, such as the elderly, to cross the road within one green light. Once they fail to reach the other side of the road during the green light, they have no choice but to run the red light. As long as one person crosses the road during the red light, others tend to follow suit. The result was the particular Beijing phenomenon of nobody obeying traffic rules. After our conclusion, Lee laughed and stated that “there must be an optimal width for the roads. The person who designed this road must not have learned physics well.”

During our years of collaborating, we had many similar exchanges. Through his views on trivial things, Prof. Lee gradually influenced my way of thinking. Since then, I have also begun to expand my physicist’s perspective to everyday life and consider social phenomena by stripping them down to their bare bones.

That is why I always state that we need to see physics in our everyday lives. It is not only about rocket science but the laws of physics are in play everywhere, and one of Tsung-Dao Lee Institute’s goals is to open everyone’s eyes to the magic.

Wenhui Daily: Since the establishment of TDLI, the institute has consistently participated in the series of activities of the SJTU Tsung-Dao Lee Science and Art Lecture Fund. Science and art have always been considered inseparable. What’s your take on this as a physicist?

Zhang Jie:

Prof. Lee believes that science and art are two sides of the same coin. They both originate from human creativity, are inspired by the beauty of nature, and try to interpret the truth of all things. In a sense, science and art are two ways of seeking the universality of truth. This is also the view shared by most scientists. The natural sciences, be it physics or mathematics, seek to understand the beauty of nature.

In 2013, when I was the President of SJTU, Prof. Lee expressed his desire to establish a fund at SJTU for sponsoring science and art events. We soon established the SJTU Tsung-Dao Lee Science and Art Lecture Fund under SJTU Education Development Foundation. One of the original intentions of this fund is to promote the integration of science and art in education.

Organically integrating science and art in the educational process is an important topic long-discussed and explored. Based on my experience in research and university management, talent training should allow students to be exposed to human wisdom and a more comprehensive system of truth, kindness, and beauty through knowledge structure including natural sciences, literature, history, philosophy and other subjects; It should also inspire them to relate their own observations to the many principles of natural sciences. For example, from the perspective of physics, if we view the earth from a more extended time span, the second law of thermodynamics could be applied to analyse the basic rules of civilisation evolution. The chronology of civilisation is then deduced with the most fundamental laws of natural science.

As for university education, integrating science and art is a gradual process, as it requires a corresponding environment of immersion. This is also true for TDLI, where works of science and art are placed everywhere. This serves both an aesthetic purpose and to build an environment where science and art are blended.

Enlighten the world to the reality of science in China and the dreams of Chinese scientists.

Wenhui Daily: At the beginning of its establishment in 2016, TDLI expressed its vision to become an excellent scientific research institute like the Niels Bohr Institute in the 1920s and 1930s. As the pandemic broke out and various international and domestic environments changed, is achieving this goal now more challenging than ever?

Zhang Jie:

The Niels Bohr Institute, established in 1921, has dramatically influenced the development of modern physics. It contributed to significant advancement in the fields of atomic physics, quantum mechanics, and nuclear physics. It also fostered a special academic spirit in the international physics community, namely the “Copenhagen Hegemony” or the Bohr School of thought.

In order to become the future Niels Bohr Institute of China, TDLI must become a research institute that is the envy of scientists worldwide. Given TDLI’s establishment, we could say that it is established “at the right time, in the right place, and with the right people”. Everything is more than ideal.

The rapid development of China in recent decades has laid a material foundation for the rapid growth of science and technology. The country is focusing on promoting the development of basic scientific research. The international community has also noticed the rapid development of our country. More Chinese researchers, especially outstanding young scientists, have been willing to return to China in the past two years. Many foreign researchers are increasingly interested in working in China. In addition, Shanghai’s inclusive culture and preferential policies are also essential factors in attracting international talents to work in China.

That said, whether it is now or the future, the global competition will always be fierce in technology and rare talents.

An essential mission of the Institute in the next 15 years is to explore and figure out the most incomprehensible mysteries in the universe on behalf of China and the Chinese people. On the other hand, TDLI itself is highly international and serves as a platform for the world to better understand the scale of China’s scientific pursuits and the dreams of Chinese scientists. To a certain extent, TDLI is also a window for the world to understand China and the Chinese people’s desire for a better life.

So far, TDLI has gathered a group of internationally renowned foreign scientists, such as Frank Wilczek, Yanagida Tsutomu, Michael Ramsey-Musolf, and the like. They are also a window that enables more and more overseas scientists to learn about Shanghai and China.

Wenhui Daily: Shanghai proposed to build a high-level talent highland. How does Tsung-Dao Lee Institute contribute to that?

Zhang Jie:

Tsung-Dao Lee Institute is responsible for building Shanghai as the world’s major talent centre and innovation highland. If TDLI is to become the Niels Bohr Institute of the future, it is necessary to introduce or nurture future leaders in science such as Wolfgang Pauli and Werner Heisenberg. From a micro perspective, we need talents of three levels. First level talents comprise top scientists with significant influence in physics like Prof. Frank Wilczek and Prof. Yanagida Tsutomu. The second level involves young people full of innovative thinking and vitality. The third level includes the best doctoral students and postdocs.

At present, foreign researchers account for about 40% of the research team. Both T. D. Lee Professors and T. D. Lee Fellows come from an international education background. Many postdocs have international experience. Many outstanding doctoral graduates or postdoctoral fellows are now choosing to stay in domestic universities or research institutes- a trend that is becoming more and more apparent.

Leaders in the fields of science are rare and hard to come by. Future scientific leaders emerge only by building a reservoir of genuinely committed talents full of passion and curiosity about scientific research and nature. Here, I’d like to reiterate to all scientists at home and abroad that Tsung-Dao Lee Institute will create the best conditions for outstanding talents and stimulate their scientific vitality to the fullest.

A good research institute should weave everyone’s dreams into the plan.

Wenhui Daily: As a research institute in a university, what is the difference between TDLI and other research institutes?

Zhang Jie:

In my opinion, universities are extraordinary existences in human society. They represent human beings’ pursuit of truth. The soul of a university is academic excellence. The university is also the pinnacle of social thought, culture, and morality. At the same time, the university is the last line of defence for fairness, justice, and conscience. These are the reasons that universities maintained a glorious and lasting social position in the long course of civilisation evolution. For China, how high universities will soar and how far they will go depends on the level of development and the students we educate.

The essence of a research university depends not on how much knowledge we can teach students, nor on instilling certain topics with importance, but on helping students establish a proper way of thinking. As Prof. Lee once said, scientific achievements come from young people; it is one of TDLI’s essential responsibilities to pass on Master Lee’s spirit and cultivate more and better young people as we partner with the university.

I also teach senior undergraduates. For them, my focus is to cultivate the right mindset and perspective. Three changes have been brought to students through one semester of my course, from passive to active learning; from knowledge absorption to research and innovation; from being enamoured with sophisticated concepts to extracting the most fundamental contradictions from intricate things, and obtaining reasonable conclusions through rigorous deduction.

I have only mastered a proper way of thinking after a long period of scientific research. That’s why it is always on my mind how to enable more young people to grasp the proper way of thinking as early as possible.

As a scientific research institute partnering with Shanghai Jiao Tong University, many TDLI researchers shoulder teaching responsibility at the University. Talent cultivation, scientific outreach, and the inheritance of masters’ spirit are the inescapable responsibilities of research institutes in universities.

Wenhui Daily: You have been the president of Shanghai Jiao Tong University for nearly ten years. The university had experienced rapid development and the transformation from an engineering-based university to a comprehensive university. Will TDLI continue to dive deeper into its three main research directions or expand its research scope?

Zhang Jie:

With the current size, we are only able to focus on limited science issues. Therefore, through strategic research and deliberation, we must highlight the problems we will focus on in the future and encourage our teachers to concentrate on these problems.

As for TDLI’s specific directions, Prof. Lee has already delineated the research scope. On top of that, TDLI aims to concentrate on leading issues in the scientific community. For example, problems on the maximum and minimum of the universe, the most fundamental laws of matter and interactions, and the research on dark energy and dark matter will allow us to understand what happened after the Big Bang.

Deciphering the mysteries of these primary scientific research fields requires theoretical exploration and experimental verification. We’ve already carried out and made some progress in these fields, such as the dark matter research carried out in Jinping Mountain for more than a decade and the newly-launched Hai-Ling Experiment to detect neutrinos in the South China Sea.

Every significant breakthrough in basic science has sparked tremendous technological innovation in human history. Whether it was the 16th century’s Renaissance in Italy, 17th century’s Industrial Revolution in Britain, 18th century’s Enlightenment in France, the 19th century’s emergence of a large number of scientists such as Einstein and Planck in Germany, and 20th century’s United States, Social developments were always driven by significant breakthroughs in science related to that technology.

I believe the mission of Tsung-Dao Lee Institute is to shape the future of China’s science. At the same time, we also expect the institute to become a sanctuary for young people to realise their dreams and to which everyone feels connected. Looking into the future, I see TDLI become a beacon of light in a global science and technology innovation centre that makes Shanghai people proud. 

本文译自《专访李政道研究所所长张杰院士：这里应该成为国家持续发展的动力之源，年轻人实现梦想的地方》 作者：文汇报首席记者 姜澎

可点击下方“阅读原文”跳转