"In many cases, students, even after entering university, lack clear goals in their studies. They have a vague understanding of their interests and future career directions, often viewing obtaining a degree as sufficient without considering their future professions seriously. Despite significant reforms in the current education system, there is still a need for reform in education and teaching methods." During the Two Sessions, Yu Shuhong, a National People's Congress delegate and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, stated this in an interview with China Science Daily.
Yu Shuhong emphasized that the backbone of China's basic and applied research comprises young talents, including graduate students, doctoral candidates, and postdoctoral researchers. Cultivating these talents requires not only guiding their interest in science and technology during secondary and tertiary education but starting from childhood. Currently, various new educational methods are being explored in China, such as talent classes in universities and the youth talent program initiated by the China Association for Science and Technology, aiming to advance the training of scientific talents to earlier stages of education. Additionally, the National Natural Science Foundation of China has started to introduce basic research projects targeting undergraduate and graduate students to stimulate and guide their interest in fundamental research.
Moreover, within research teams, Yu advocates for providing more opportunities for young talents to take on significant challenges. Engaging in groundbreaking research and tackling challenging problems are essential for talent development. Therefore, creating a better environment and platform for talent development, including fair evaluation systems for individuals and projects, is crucial. Fair evaluation processes are necessary to encourage young talents to tackle difficult problems and provide them with a series of supporting policies and environments to foster their growth into leading figures in science and technology, nurturing top-tier innovative teams.
Yu Shuhong highlighted that the current international and technological competition requires China to pursue a path of high-level technological self-reliance. To achieve this, it is necessary to guide a large number of scientists to conduct original, fundamental, and forward-looking research. This necessitates the cultivation of internationally competitive and high-level research teams, posing new demands on talent quality and development. In terms of management systems, providing favorable conditions and guarantees for high-level research by research teams is essential.
He pointed out that the ultimate goal of scientific research is to promote industrial development or drive the development of the national manufacturing industry. Achieving high-level technological self-reliance requires enterprises to increase investment in research and development while emphasizing the absorption and timely application of the latest achievements, especially those from domestic independent innovation. Therefore, substantial investments in fundamental and strategic frontier technology research are necessary to achieve high-level technological self-reliance.
Furthermore, achieving high-level technological self-reliance often requires more than just the efforts of enterprises; it also requires the involvement of excellent scientist teams. In terms of research mode and organizational methods, new mechanisms are needed to incentivize cooperation between enterprises and research institutions to conduct high-level research, continuously enhancing China's independent innovation capabilities and addressing strategic needs and technological bottlenecks in industries.
In Yu Shuhong's view, the new productive forces rely on technological innovation, which plays a leading role and meets the demands of high-quality development. This is crucial for building an independent innovation industrial chain in the future. Currently, many industries or sectors in China urgently need the latest research results to enhance the competitiveness of traditional industries and products, especially regarding the dual-carbon goals and the significant demand for low-carbon, environmentally friendly, renewable, and new energy substitute materials.
"For example, many plastic products in the chemical industry still rely on fossil resources, leading to various environmental issues. It is necessary to consider replacing plastic products with completely biodegradable biomass, including agricultural films and many other plastic products. In the long run, fossil energy will inevitably deplete, so it is essential to invest in basic research and new technology development for future alternatives based on fossil resource products. Through solid technological innovation, we can develop new productive forces independently," said Yu Shuhong. This will help empower traditional industries with innovative technology, pave the way for new tracks, facilitate the formation of a complete new industrial chain, and enhance China's international competitiveness.
Academician Shuhong Yu. Image provided by the interviewee.
