Where does it come from? The persistence of two winners of the highest science and technology awards
The 2023 National Science and Technology Awards were announced. The highest national science and technology awards were awarded to Academician Li Deren of Wuhan University and Academician Xue Qikun of Tsinghua University. Li Deren is a famous photogrammetry and remote sensing scientist who has been committed to improving the level of surveying, mapping, remote sensing and earth observation in my country. Xue Qikun is a famous scientist in the field of condensed matter physics and has made many important and leading scientific breakthroughs.
Looking at the ups and downs of the two academicians' scientific research lives, we can always find their precious perseverance. No matter how lofty their goals are, they can always unleash the powerful energy to overcome and surpass themselves; no matter what difficulties and obstacles they face, they can stand up, forge ahead with heavy burdens, and keep running forward. It is their deep patriotism and firm beliefs that support this perseverance.
General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out that "having a strong sense of patriotism is the first requirement for our country's scientific and technological personnel." The sense of home and country is the distinctive background of the spirit of scientists and the deepest motivation for scientists to innovate. "Love my China" is the first sentence of the family motto left by Li Deren's great-grandfather.
When he graduated from Germany, many foreign research institutions, including the University of Stuttgart, extended olive branches to Li Deren. Faced with the invitation, Li Deren resolutely chose to return to China and devote himself to the construction of his motherland. After returning to China, when he learned about the gap between China and foreign countries, he secretly made up his mind to "catch up and surpass in the shortest time possible" and consciously regarded it as an unshirkable responsibility. "A person should use his own skills to do more for the country. Combining my own interests and strengths with the needs of the country is what I pursue." These brief words show Li Deren's ardent patriotism.
Science and technology workers undoubtedly shoulder the historical responsibility of aiming at the forefront of world science and technology, constantly proposing new theories, opening up new fields, and exploring new paths. Without firm beliefs, there can be no tenacious perseverance, and it is impossible to complete the established goals and tasks, let alone create first-class scientific research results. As Xue Qikun said, "Looking back on my life journey, I feel that everyone must have a belief." He always believes that in order to carry out original basic research, it is necessary to establish the belief and confidence to be willing to engage in basic research and dare to challenge scientific problems and sit on the bench. He has a famous nickname, called "7-11 Academician". People who are familiar with him know that Xue Qikun has been working in the laboratory from 7 o'clock in the morning to 11 o'clock in the evening. He has been doing this for 20 years. It is precisely because of his firm belief, keeping a close eye on the goal, relying on his solid theoretical foundation, excellent scientific intuition, strong interest in exploring the mysteries of nature and thinking about scientific problems, and his unyielding, pursuit of perfection, and challenging the limits that he finally made him break through the barriers on the rugged path of climbing the peak of science and won the National Highest Science and Technology Award.
"Science has no borders, but scientists have a motherland." Looking back at history, in the early days of the founding of New China, a large number of scientific and technological workers, such as Qian Xuesen, Qian Sanqiang, Deng Jiaxian, and Guo Yonghuai, with the purpose of "wherever the motherland needs me, we will go there", devoted themselves to the research and development of major national scientific research tasks such as "two bombs and one satellite", laying the foundation for the development of New China and national defense security. Entering the new era, my country's basic research and original innovation have been continuously strengthened, some key core technologies have achieved breakthroughs, and strategic emerging industries have developed and grown, including manned spaceflight, lunar and Mars exploration, deep-sea and deep-earth exploration, supercomputers, satellite navigation, quantum information, and large aircraft manufacturing. Major scientific and technological breakthroughs have been made. These are vivid portrayals of the vast number of scientific and technological workers who uphold the supremacy of national interests and the interests of the people, adhere to the world's scientific and technological frontiers, the main battlefield of the economy, the major needs of the country, and the people's life and health, and accelerate the realization of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance. Without the feelings of loving the motherland and losing the belief of catching up with the first-class and daring to compete with strong hands, how could they devote themselves to the scientific research cause of the motherland without regrets?
At present, the development of science and technology in my country is facing both a once-in-a-lifetime historical opportunity and severe challenges in some areas. Only by continuously increasing investment in science and technology, accelerating scientific and technological innovation, and strengthening basic research can we gradually narrow the gap and even catch up. In particular, it should be noted that the current competition in science and technology is, to a certain extent, a competition in basic research and original innovation. After all, the greater the application prospects of a technology, the more challenging the scientific and technological problems involved are, the stronger the originality, and the greater its subversive significance. This is not only one of the important characteristics of basic research in the 21st century, but also the core of achieving scientific and technological innovation.
The two winners have set an advanced example of scientific research innovation for the whole society. The vast majority of scientific and technological workers must learn from the good and catch up, further firmly establish the patriotic feelings and firm beliefs of innovating science and technology, serving the country and benefiting the people, inherit the excellent qualities of the older generation of scientists who are patriotic, indifferent to fame and fortune, bravely climb to the top and dare to be the first, consciously write scientific papers on the land of the motherland, apply scientific and technological achievements in the great cause of realizing national modernization, and integrate life ideals into the endless struggle to realize the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
