Professors and Students’ Comments on Tu Youyou’s Winning the Nobel Prize
Oct 20, 2015
Peking University, Oct. 17, 2015: Recently Peking University Health Science Center has organized a series of interviews for many professors and students, inquiring their comments on Tu Youyou’s winning the Nobel Prize. Tu is the first female Chinese national to win the Nobel Prize in science, and has previously been awarded the Lasker-DeBakey Award, another prestigious award in medical science.
Comments from the professors
Professor Ke Yang, the executive vice president of Peking University, says what moves him most is that Professor Tu represents the noble quality of Peking University Health Science Center. He tells journalists that Professor Tu never says what others say and pursues what others have, and that she always has her own faith.
Professor Wang Deping, an alumnus of Professor Tu, says that he is proud of Tu’s winning the Nobel Prize. He thinks that every PKUer should learn from Tu Youyou, especially her spirit of devotion, academic spirit and sense of duty. He also appeals to people to explore the legacy of traditional Chinese medicine in more scientific ways.
“Some media mention that Professor Tu is a ‘Three-no’ scientist – no doctorate, no background of studying abroad and no title of academician,” says Professor Tong Tanjun, “but these are not necessities of science. What really matters for scientific work is a kind of spirit of persistence and resilience. Tu’s great achievement lies in her ordinary academic background.”
“Our society has been qualified,” says Professor Zhang Yu, “people often pay excess attention to the quantity of papers, but forget the original goal of science.” He thinks that Professor Tu has set a good example for Chinese scientists, and that Peking University Health Science Center can offer a free environment for science study.
Comments from the students
“My focus is on the fact that Professor Tu Youyou is the first female Chinese national to win the Nobel Prize in science”, says Yang Kailai, a doctoral student from The First Hospital, “the prize is the highest of all that Chinese medical science field has gained.”
Song Hang, a student from The Third Hospital, says that he cares about Tu Youyou’s personal experience and study process most. As a man who serves the health care industry, he says he is more attracted by Tu Youyou herself than her winning the Nobel Prize. Like Song Hang, Wang Chao also says he focuses more on the hard work that Tu Youyou has did behind her winning the Nobel Prize.
“I think Tu Youyou alumna opens a new door for the development of traditional Chinese medicine,” says Qu Xueqi, an undergraduate student from the School of Public Health, “she got inspiration from traditional Chinese medicine books, so shouldn’t it also be an important inspiration for scientists to explore the potential of traditional Chinese medicine?”
Besides, many other students say it is not merely an honor for Chinese scientists and Chinese. More importantly, they are really encouraged by Professor Tu’s scientific experience and her success. And they firmly believe that more and more people will dedicate themselves to scientific enterprise in the future.
Written by: Xie Changli
Edited by: Ouyang Yixuan
Source: PKU News Center
