Peking University, Oct. 8, 2019: As a commentary on the educational activity with the topic "Keeping faithful to our mission," this editorial focuses on the thematic significance of "Serving the country with sci-tech contributions", which has been one of the fundamental missions of PKU since its birth.

One hundred years ago, advanced intellectuals represented by Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhao, longing to seek new knowledge, raised the banner of “democracy” and “science,” which marked the beginning of “Rejuvenating China through science and education.”

In the campaigns of promoting liberalization and modernization led by PKU President Cai Yuanpei and other intellectuals, the university became the center of the New Culture Movement and the May Fourth Movement. It also witnessed the introduction and dissemination of Marxism, thus being the earliest base of the Chinese Communist Party.

Since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, PKU sci-tech researchers have made a series of original breakthroughs. From “two bombs, one satellite” to the first synthetic bovine insulin, from the successful extraction of artemisinin to the joint development of China’s first million-chip integrated circuit computer, all these achievements exemplify the patriotism and devotion of PKU researchers.

Equally significant are the sci-tech contributions made by PKU alumni since the Reform and Opening-up. To name a few, the theory and application of rare earth separation, the development of computerized Chinese laser phototypesetting system and the subsequent electronic publishing system have continued to benefit the globe.

In acknowledgement of the contributions by these pioneers, the country has honored several Peking University alumni with awards. The late Yu Min, a nuclear physicist, and 2015 Nobel Prize winner Tu Youyou, who led the discovery of the antimalarial drug artemisinin, were awarded the Medal of the Republic, one of the most prestigious awards in the country. Wu Wenjun, a mathematician, and Gu Fangzhou, a medical researcher, were awarded the honorary title of “The People’s Scientist.”

It is the development of science and technology that revitalizes a country. A new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation is reshaping the global economic structure. Entering a new era, Peking University sci-tech researchers need to carry forward the traditions of serving the country, shoulder the responsibilities given by history, and try to be the vanguard of technological innovation.

Written by: Harper Lee
Edited by: Wei Yunqi
Source: PKU News (Chinese)