On March 8th, China celebrated its 101st International Women's Day. With the ongoing National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the topic of igniting the innovative spirit of female scientists has once again become a hot discussion among delegates.
National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference member and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wu Lizhu, in an interview with "China Science Daily," emphasized, "Women are indispensable forces in scientific research, and their professional growth deserves more attention from the entire society. This is not about offering them more 'care,' but about providing more 'trust.'"
Wu Lizhu's office is merely 10 meters away from the nearest laboratory, a distance she covers countless times a day, traversing these "10 meters." She stated, "Chemistry is a sensory discipline that never feels dull. I have walked these '10 meters' for over 30 years."
Leading a team at the forefront of photochemistry, Wu Lizhu aims to grasp the "artificial photosynthesis," the holy grail of chemistry. However, the research journey is fraught with challenges. Initially, the hydrogen catalysis conversion rate in Wu Lizhu's simulated artificial photosynthesis research was only 0.1. Through the team's relentless efforts, within less than six years, this number skyrocketed to 16 million. This signifies the continuous improvement in catalyst stability and efficiency, coupled with a reduction in costs.
Wu Lizhu expressed, "Life is beautiful, and engaging in research that one loves is about enjoying the process of life."
They say that engaging in fundamental research requires being content with sitting on the "cold bench." For Zhang Jianling, a researcher at the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, sitting on such a "cold bench" brings immense joy.
"I love scientific research, and my happiest moments are when I conduct experiments in the laboratory," said Zhang Jianling during the International Women's Day commendation ceremony held on March 6th at the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Zhang Jianling's research team, focusing on the "Properties and Applications of Green Solvents," was honored with the title of "Chinese Academy of Sciences Women's Day Collective."
On the steadfast path, passion always accompanies. Zhang Jianling excels in discovering the "interesting points" in her work, jokingly referring to herself as a "tailor" who cuts and reassembles various chemical bonds through experiments. It is this love that sustains her over 20 years of research career.
Reflecting on her research journey, Zhang Jianling said, "I am in it and find joy in it."
Lu Jing, a researcher at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, immerses herself in the world of paleobiology. "Passion is the most enduring driving force for me to engage in scientific research. I often feel excited about new discoveries and breakthroughs in science," she told "China Science Daily."
In recent years, Lu Jing has been eager to pass on this passion through science popularization activities, especially to young girls from rural areas. She said, "I hope to broaden their horizons and help them find what they love."
There was once a topic on Weibo: "Do you think female researchers are cool?" Many netizens expressed that female researchers are indeed cool, possessing characteristics such as sensitivity, delicacy, and tenacity simultaneously.
Lu Jing is delighted to see that in her field of paleontology, opportunities for men and women are generally equal, and gender does not limit the development of researchers. "Even in fieldwork, female researchers can perform equally well," she stated.
However, during this year's National People's Congress, National People's Congress deputy and Director of the Beijing Academy of Science and Technology Research Institute for Innovation Development, Yi Tong, pointed out that in China's existing science and technology evaluation system, the proportion of women in various academic committees and project review groups is often low. Female leading talents in science and technology are still relatively scarce, placing women in a disadvantaged position in terms of discourse power.
In response, Wu Lizhu called for more attention to be given to female researchers by the whole society. She emphasized that this attention should not be a form of lowering standards for "care" but should be about "trust."
Wu Lizhu hopes that scientific research organizations, institutions, and even research teams can provide female researchers with more opportunities to do "important things," allowing them to gain experience and take center stage in scientific research. "At academic conferences, providing opportunities for female researchers to fully showcase and share their research work would be a great encouragement."
It is gratifying to note that in recent years, more and more policies and measures have been implemented to address the "development needs," create a "platform for utilization," and alleviate the "worries" for women entering scientific research.
For example, documents such as the "Opinions on Implementing the Women's Science and Technology Innovation Action" and "Several Measures to Support Women Scientists in Playing a Greater Role in Technological Innovation" have been successively released. At the same time, the National Natural Science Foundation of China has taken the lead in clearly extending the age limit for female researchers applying for the National Distinguished Young Scientists Fund from 45 to 48 years old.
In the careers of female researchers, there often appears the phenomenon of "dropping out midway." Yi Tong believes that this is because the golden period of career development for female researchers often overlaps with the child-rearing period, causing difficulties in balancing family and career.
In the hearts of every female researcher, family is always a concern and a guiding light.
"On the road of scientific research, the most challenging aspect is balancing family and work, and my family is my strongest support," said Lu Jing. The support from her family gives her the strength to charge towards the forefront of world science and advance towards technological heights. Recently, she led a research team dedicated to obtaining morphological data of paleobiology through new technologies and methods.
Zhang Jianling stated, "Family gives me a powerful motivation to move forward. We not only need to have great love in our hearts, contributing to the country's technological development, but we also need to fulfill our responsibilities as mothers, wives, and daughters."
"Home is the smallest country, and the country is made up of millions of homes." The mission of facing challenges and accelerating the occupation of technological high points is embedded in the hearts of many female researchers with a sense of family and nation.
Wu Lizhu is committed to doing "useful" chemistry, focusing on national strategic needs and the forefront of world technology. Over the years, she has led a research team to explore the efficient and stable realization of "artificial photosynthesis." She hopes to convert carbon dioxide into useful chemicals, contribute to the application of clean energy "green hydrogen," and make a contribution to achieving the "dual carbon" goals. The focal point of Zhang Jianling's team's research revolves around the properties of green solvents and the conversion of renewable resources such as carbon dioxide and biomass. In their perspective, the advancement of "carbon neutrality" requires active participation from the field of chemistry. With the establishment of the Carbon Neutrality Chemistry Center at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Chemistry in 2022, researchers are intensifying their focus on the "dual carbon" goal, aiming to generate a series of crucial, original, and leading-edge technological achievements.
