Former title: Yao Qizhi, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and professor of Tsinghua University, devoted himself to the cultivation and silent dedication - (quotation)
Turning patriotism into a trip to serve the country (telling the story behind the letter reply) (theme)
People's Daily reporter Wu Yue
Recently, General Secretary Xi Jinping wrote back to Yao Qizhi, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and professor of Tsinghua University. In his reply to the letter, General Secretary Xi Jinping said, "I hope you will stick to your original mission, give full play to your own advantages, lead everyone to continue to explore the independent training mode of innovative talents, promote interdisciplinary and cutting-edge innovation, build a high-level talent training and scientific and technological innovation base, and make new contributions to achieving self-reliance in high-level science and technology, and building a strong country in education and science and technology."
In 2004, Yao Qizhi returned to China full-time to teach at Tsinghua University. Now he is the Dean of the School of Artificial Intelligence and the Dean of the Cross Information Research Institute of Tsinghua University. Over the past 20 years, he has turned patriotism into a trip to serve the country. He has worked hard and made silent contributions in Tsinghua University, and has achieved fruitful results in teaching, educating people, and scientific research and innovation.
A few days ago, a reporter from People's Daily walked into Tsinghua Park and listened to Yao Qizhi tell the story of training talents and scientific research and innovation since he returned to China to teach for 20 years.
——Editor
In summer, the Qinghua Garden is dense and lush. Wearing a white shirt, walking on the campus, 77 year old Yao Qizhi, Dean of the School of Artificial Intelligence of Tsinghua University and Dean of the Cross Information Research Institute, walked briskly.
Twenty years ago, when he came to Tsinghua Park, it was also a summer. That year, at the age of 57, he looked at the great rivers and mountains of the motherland through the porthole of the plane. "Returning home" was the most firm voice in his heart. Since then, every plant in this campus has become increasingly familiar and friendly.
As time goes by, trees grow into forests, and a group of teachers and students also thrive under the cultivation and drive of Yao Qizhi. "I am honored to make my humble contribution to the great cause of building a strong country and national rejuvenation," said Yao Qizhi.
Yao Jizhi is giving lessons to students.
Explore the independent training mode of innovative talents
"Create a good environment and encourage students to run forward with their teachers"
Yao Jizhi has been teaching in American universities for a long time, and won the Turing Prize, the highest award in the field of computer science in the world in 2000. Honor is in the body, but there is a constant desire in the heart. In 2004, when he embarked on the road of returning to China, Yao Jizhi had a firm goal: "The motherland is developing rapidly, and I want to do my part for it."
"I think I can make some contributions to the cultivation of undergraduates and postgraduates." In Yao Qizhi's view, undergraduate education is an important foundation for talent cultivation. In 2005, he founded a computer science experimental class for undergraduates, which was also affectionately called "Yao Class" by students.
What kind of class is this?
"Mr. Yao wore a checkered shirt and stood in front of the blackboard to write down the reasoning process. The sun was shining on the classroom in the sixth teaching building." Dai Yan, a 2020 undergraduate, always remembered the "Computer Applied Mathematics" class in his freshman year. This course was taught by teacher Yao Jizhi, and it is the common memory of many students in "Yao Class".
"The homework is harder and harder every time, but it won't make us feel hopeful but unable to move forward. Mr. Yao has set up step-by-step tips to guide us to think step by step and stimulate our interest in scientific research and exploration." Dai Yan said.
"Keeping young people curious and creative is the most important thing we need to do." To this end, Yao Jizhi has made training plans for undergraduates, prepared teaching plans, selected teachers, and still lectured for students on the podium.
"We use good teachers and good courses to create a good environment and encourage students to run forward with their teachers." Yao Qizhi said that in "Yao Class", students can have extensive access to various research work according to their interests. A course or a project may become the first "electric shock" opportunity with scientific research.
"Every time we finish a course, my classmates and I will feel more than enough -- just like reading an unfinished book, which attracts us to write our own ending." After graduating from the "Yao Class" in 2019, Lv Kaifeng will enter Tsinghua University after several years of further study. He said: "Mr. Yao is my example. In the future, I also want to use my own efforts to innovate and contribute to the development of education and science and technology of the country."
"Life comes for a big thing," Yao Jizhi said to graduates a few years ago. What is a "big event"? Yao Jizhi once said that, for him, "great event" is to "train talents for the country". This is his choice over the past 20 years and has become the common pursuit of many teachers and students.
Yao Jizhi (second from left) is exchanging scientific research progress with his classmates.
Promote interdisciplinary and cutting-edge innovation
"Only by asking good questions can we make good research"
Two weeks ago, another research breakthrough by scholars of the Institute of Cross Information Research of Tsinghua University was published in the journal Nature - the research team of Professor Duan Luming, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, realized quantum simulation calculation based on hundreds of ion qubits for the first time.
"This work is a great achievement in the field of quantum computing." On the day the paper was published, Duan Luming received praise from Yao Qizhi. Duan Luming recalled the scene when the Cross Information Research Institute and Quantum Information Center of Tsinghua University were inaugurated more than 10 years ago. On that day, Yao Qizhi said in his speech: "An important direction of future scientific research must lie in the intersection of different fields and information science."
Under the leadership of Yao Qizhi, the Cross Information Research Institute has deepened the cross construction of computer science and quantum information science, with scientific research fields covering "intelligence+", quantum information, financial technology and other frontier directions. He attaches great importance to the angle of topic selection. "It is necessary to ask profound, bold and critical questions. Only by asking good questions can we make good research," he said.
Yuan Yang, an assistant professor of the Institute of Cross Information Research of Tsinghua University, conducted research on the big model under the guidance of Yao Qizhi. During each discussion, Yao Qizhi would ask a series of questions - "Is there any way to explain this phenomenon clearly?" "Can you find the simplest scenario to reflect the advantages of this method?"... Yuan Yang said, These questions can enlighten young scholars' scientific research ideas, thus promoting research to go deeper.
In the interview, talking about the young teachers of the Cross Information Research Institute, Yao Qizhi sped up his speech and mentioned the names of several young scholars at one breath: Deng Dongling's research group had realized the quantum simulation of topological time crystals in the superconducting system for the first time, and the general embodied intelligent control framework proposed by Gao Yang's research group was recently published at the international conference
Yao Jizhi paid attention to every teacher in the Institute. "Many young scholars aim at very original work. We should encourage everyone to do more 'from 0 to 1' work and more leading work."
Promote the innovative theory and interdisciplinary application of artificial intelligence, build high-level laboratory platforms such as ion trap quantum computing, superconducting quantum computing, and optical quantum network, and explore the efficiency improvement of the financial technology enabling industry... Now, the achievements of interdisciplinary interaction are emerging, and the dream of making cutting-edge scientific research achievements is like a seed, rooted in the hearts of teachers and students.
Build a high-level talent training and scientific and technological innovation base
"Committed to bringing together all kinds of talents, we will work together sincerely and make common progress"
At present, the Cross Information Research Institute of Tsinghua University has attracted a group of young scholars with excellent scientific research strength and broad international vision, which has greatly promoted scientific research and talent training in the field of artificial intelligence.
Why do young scholars come here?
Yao Jizhi said that a good environment is crucial, and he used the analogy of "playing chess". "If my opponents are much worse than me, my chess skills may not make much progress; but if everyone's level is relatively high, and they often compete and learn from each other, my chess skills will improve very quickly." Yao Qizhi said, "The Cross Information Research Institute should be committed to bringing together all kinds of talents, and everyone should cooperate sincerely to make common progress."
"The Institute has created a good environment for us to calm down and do research. People pay more attention to academic level and research achievements than titles and funds," said Yuan Yang.
In April this year, Yao Qizhi set out again - Tsinghua University Artificial Intelligence College was officially established, and Yao Qizhi served as the first president.
"We should constantly overcome the key technologies of AI, serve the needs of the country, and establish good cooperation between academia and industry through mechanism innovation." Yao Qizhi hopes to build the AI Institute into the world's top AI talent highland and innovation highland. For this reason, his work is even busier.
"In addition to business trips, the other time is mainly to finish work in the office or at home, deal with official business and think about scientific research issues. It seems monotonous, but enjoy it." Yao Jizhi said that in his rare free time, he likes to take a walk in Tsinghua Park with his lover Professor Chu Feng.
There are two Davidia involucrata trees outside the I-shaped hall on the campus. This is a unique rare plant in China, and also a favorite plant of Yao Jizhi and his wife. "Every April and May, when Davidia involucrata blooms, we always go to see it," said Yao Qizhi.
When the flowers of Davidia involucrata are in full bloom, they are like the wings of a white dove. The breeze is blowing, just like a white dove flapping its wings all over the tree. Over the years, small trees have grown stronger and stronger, rooted in the earth, and flourished (Zhao Shujing participated in the writing)
（ The pictures are provided by the Propaganda Department of the Party Committee of Tsinghua University ）
