Executive Vice President of the University of Science and Technology of China Prof Pan Jianwei delivers a speech to UIC graduates
Distinguished President Tang Tao, dear graduates and family members, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning! It is my great honour to be invited by President Tang Tao to attend today's graduation ceremony.
Congratulations to the graduates!
I myself am involved in research in the fundamental fields of quantum physics and quantum information, and although UIC may not have a major in this field, I nevertheless have a unique interest in UIC. UIC is the first university in the Chinese mainland to focus on liberal arts education that encourages students to explore a broad range of disciplines, rather than providing pre-professional training in a particular area. This is precisely the "general education" that famous educator Mr Mei Yiqi advocated, which I also aspire to and call for. In my understanding, a liberal arts education not only emphasizes a rich array of knowledge, but also pays more attention to the cultivation of a humanistic spirit. Even modern scientific research that requires high specialization cannot be separated from the humanistic spirit, and science itself can bring spiritual enlightenment. Here, I'd like to take this opportunity to share with you my understanding and experiences of humanism during my research work. I hope this will help you in your future life.
After the past few years at university, you have probably started to realize that the world is far from perfect. After graduation, many of you will enter society and face an even more imperfect world. However, an imperfect world is precisely the driving force behind the evolution of life and human progress. The reason why human beings become the spirit of all living things is not because individuals are strong, in fact, individually, human beings are quite fragile. However, it is fragile human beings that explored the darkness over the centuries and created today's advanced science and splendid civilization. Perseverance is the greatest spirit of mankind as a whole. This also applies to individuals. As long as you do something, it is the beginning of success, while not taking action is bound to result in failure. In the face of all kinds of disadvantages, if we simply worry, complain about others, and give up on ourselves, we are actually going against our human nature.
Conversely, because the world and life are not perfect, there are limits to what one can do in one's lifetime. This is especially true for scientific research, which faces the unknown and can only experiment, and experimentation means countless failures. I once studied in Europe, and then continued collaborative research there. One spring, I finished my experiment in Vienna. I should have rushed to Heidelberg, Germany as soon as possible to set up my own laboratory, but I was very nostalgic for picking wild chives by the Danube River. I was worried that I would never be able to pick chives again in Heidelberg, so I stayed in Vienna for a while. As a result, the experimental plan in Heidelberg was delayed, and someone else completed an important subsequent experiment before me. At that time, I felt somewhat frustrated, especially after I found out that chives also grew by the Neckar River in Heidelberg, but soon I came to terms with myself. Work will never be finished, and if one experiment doesn't go as planned, I still have the chance to try hard in the next. There is no need to put so much pressure on myself. If I remain relatively relaxed, my efficiency in the laboratory will be higher.
I like a sentence by Schopenhauer, a German philosopher: "A man can do what he wants, but he cannot want what he wants." Scientific research, and by extension life, is just like this. You put in great efforts but see no success; some hypotheses may never be verified in a lifetime; or, as I just said, you worked hard for a long time and others beat you to the finish line by a hair. Nevertheless, the process of exploration and hard work itself is already the greatest pleasure brought by science.
I would like to emphasize that while working hard is important, a calm state of mind is more important. In Europe, I could clearly feel that the love for science and art was integrated into the blood of the general public. Alpine farmers often play music in their villages' open-air concert halls after work in the evening. I once met an 80-year-old lady in a wheelchair in a local village. When she learned that I was engaged in research on quantum teleportation, she told me, "I know your research work. I read your paper published in Nature. I tried my best, but I didn't understand it." When I was in a German hospital, a nurse asked me about quantum physics. This calm and idealistic cultural atmosphere is an excellent soil for nurturing masters and deep discoveries.
Doing your best without demanding immediate success, keeping a calm mind and idealistic feelings is what the process of scientific development taught me about life. In your future, you may encounter many difficulties and challenges, but as long as you persist in exploring and innovating, you will certainly achieve more valuable accomplishments.
Finally, I would like to wish once again all of you a bright and wonderfulfuture! I look forward to seeing all that you will achieve. Thank you all!
