Teacher's Representative Luo Jianbin: Science and Technology Need "Two Sminds and Three Hearts"

Scientific and technological research requires "two minds and three hearts"
-Speech at the Opening Ceremony of 2021 Graduate Students
Academician Luo Jianbin of Mechanical Department

Leaders, teachers and students:

First of all, we welcome 2021 graduate students to Tsinghua for further study. There is a saying in Tsinghua that "if you step into the gate of Tsinghua University, you will be a Tsinghua people." so as a member of Tsinghua teachers, I would like to say a few words to the new Tsinghua people today. Since it is from the heart, it is not "gorgeous words" or "heroic words", but some real home-grown words.

First,I hope your goal of coming to Tsinghua is the same as the talent training goal of the school.
What is your goal of coming to Tsinghua? If you just want the headmaster to shift the tassels on your degree cap (that is, the ears of wheat we often say) from right to left, that would be too stingy! First of all, we need to understand what is the talent training goal of Tsinghua University. Everyone chose Tsinghua, or Tsinghua chose everyone, which shows that our goals are the same. I am from an engineering department, so I will talk about Tsinghua's talent training goals from an engineering perspective.
Tsinghua's talent training goals are formulated in accordance with the changes of the times and the needs of the country.As a new generation of science and technology, you have caught up with an era of great change, which can be said to be a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity. Because mankind has just entered the era of "Cyber-physical", "traditional engineer work" will be replaced by artificial intelligence, and creative talents (internationally known as Innovator), which account for only 2.5 percent of the talent type, will become the most important social needs. China is one of the pioneer countries moving towards intelligence, and the future development of China's science and technology mainly depends on such talents. As a school heading for a top international university, Tsinghua University issued the guiding ideology for engineering development in January 2019. It is necessary to cultivate leading talents (that is, "double T talents"). The meaning of double T(creative Thought and leading Technology) is that our students should become talents with innovative ideas or can make leading technologies. You will become the "practitioners" of this important strategic guiding ideology "!

Second,I send practitioners a "two minds and three hearts".
In order to distinguish between "two minds", in particular, "two minds" that is, two consciousness mentioned in front.
The first awareness isconsciousness of the times. The fate of the country and the fate of human peace are closely related to the development of science and technology. The next 20 years will be the "scientific and technological era" of the rapid development of China's science and technology, an era in which scientific and technological personnel will show their talents, and an era in which scientific and technological achievements will be rapidly transformed. Many of Tsinghua's high and new technologies will be hatched to give birth to a number of listed companies to promote economic and social development and benefit mankind. You have chosen to tackle key scientific and technological problems, that is, you have chosen a life of hard struggle, or it may be a brilliant and beautiful life!
The second consciousness istime consciousness. It is estimated that many of you will think that "now is just the beginning of life, every day will be better, and there will be more good days in the future". When we look back, the graduate stage is the most golden stage of life. We have "first-class master guidance, first-class database, first-class experimental conditions, first-class academic atmosphere, first-class logistical support, sufficient financial support and the most vigorous energy". However, if you lack the word "focus", all this will turn into nothingness. If this wonderful golden age is wasted on some worthless things, or even depressed because of some small setbacks, it will be regretted for life!
"Three hearts" means "ambition, care and confidence".
The first isAmbition. Research topics must dare to challenge the problems of human and national scientific and technological development; at Tsinghua University, the "Five Only" has been eliminated, and students who have no worries should dare to challenge themselves, dare to challenge authority, dare to be the first, and dare to take on important tasks.
The second isCareful. There are often some strange phenomena in scientific research. We should be careful and serious, and we should not let go of any clues. Often some important discoveries or the birth of new directions will come from this. "For people to be atmospheric, research to stingy!" How can we be careful? "Only when you are calm can you be careful!"
The third isConfidence. In scientific research, the number of failures is often far greater than the number of successes. Most people will give up their original plan or change direction after several failures, at which time only a few people who can stick to it will succeed. "The day when you are cornered is when you are close to the peak." This is when you should feel happy, not sad. "There is no way out of the mountains and rivers, and there is another village in the dark" on the road of scientific research, but many people can't see it. I hope at least half of the students in Tsinghua can see it.
Finally send a wish to everyone. Although I said earlier that everyone should not take obtaining a degree as the only goal of the graduate stage, I still wish everyone can appear at the graduation ceremony, "wearing a degree cap, the headmaster's hand to hold!"

Reprinted | Tsinghua University