Hunan University commencement, June 17, 2002
Marguerite
Blake Wilbur Professor in Natural Science
Stanford
University
Stanford, California
94305-5080 USA
The
Importance of Science and Technology for China
My
talk is titled The Importance of Science and Technology for
China. Yet I begin not with
what science can do for a nation, I begin personally with what has
drawn me personally to science. It is joy. I experience, quite selfishly and
privately, joy when I engage in one of the greatest adventures of the mind:
discovering how this wondrous world works. Science may help a nation and the human race
certainly it does but I do science because, simply, it is so much
fun. I cannot resist its
challenges. For me, this passion has become a lifetime addiction. But I am here
to talk to you not about my addiction but rather on a larger and more difficult
topic, the future of science and technology in China.
From 1992 to 1998 I had the privilege of
serving on the US National Science Board. From 1996 through 1998 I was its
Chair. This board is the
policy-making body of the US National Science Foundation (NSF). In my country,
the NSF supplies the majority of support for research in the physical sciences
done at American universities. The National Science Board not only sets various
funding policies for the NSF, it also oversees its activities. In addition, the
board received a mandate, when it was created, to report to our President and
to our Congress on the state of health of the scientific enterprise. Consequently, the board has been much
concerned about US science policy.
It would be presumptuous of me to believe
that my service on the National Science Board gives me special insight into the
needs of any other country.
Therefore, let me acknowledge at once how uncomfortably aware I am that
they may not apply as well as they should to the situation in China. Still, I wish to speak here briefly on
China s becoming a world leader in science. There is no question that
China is one of the most important nations in the world. Yet, for China to take
its rightful place as a world leader in science, some difficult choices must be
made.
How does one measure the real wealth of a
nation? I look to two factors. The
first is the spirit of the culture, the vision of the people. The second is the means to build a
future, the means that enable a vision to be realized.
A society needs three things to advance:
·
The first is security to defend itself against both
internal and external threats to its individuals and to the entire society, so
that the people are free to pursue their goals.
·
The second is
the economy to
produce goods for consumption, provide services, and improve the overall
quality of life for its citizens.
·
The third is education to prepare its citizens so they can
benefit from what is already known and even add to the world s body of
knowledge.
Science
and engineering contribute in major ways to all three things. Who can doubt
that mastery of science and technology is vital in making China prosperous?
Chinese culture and tradition have valued education for thousands of
years. But the reason for that
valuing has changed. In the past,
people wished to be educated so they could acquire a position in the government. But over the last hundred years, people
have become more and more conscious of science and technology and how its
power, when used well, can strengthen a country and realize the dreams of a
people.
Let us look at Russia. The Soviet Union
possessed a vigorous scientific establishment, but it was undermined by a weak
economy. A major problem was the separation of science and technology from
production. Poor management and labor-intensive, capital-intensive,
low-efficiency organizations severely weakened the national economy. The
overriding Soviet goal of military strength resulted in the neglect of civilian
research and development. Those Soviet research workers who were drawn to basic
research often neglected the applied research that is needed for economic
growth. Finally, the collapse of the Soviet Union and the worsening of its
economy forced many Russian scientists and engineers to quit research or even
emigrate.
In contrast, the transfer of American
resources from weapons development to economic development is significantly
boosting American competitiveness in the world market. The United States is
trying to maintain steady economic growth, create jobs, and protect the
environment. We hope to make our government more efficient to meet public needs
and to preserve America s leading position in the world in basic science.
That position has given new energy to the powerful engine of American
technology. Where I work and live at Stanford University, many discoveries in
the laboratory can be rapidly transformed into commercial products. The free
marketplace we have for ideas, the acceptance of the work of all people, and
the ability to take business risks accelerate this transfer.
How is China to take advantage of these
historical precedents? The United States was not always a leader in the
sciences. In the early part of the twentieth century, we lagged behind Germany.
We adopted the policy of sending to Germany many of our best graduate students.
These students, when they returned to us, unquestionably laid the foundation
for many great discoveries and technical industries in our country. Might a
similar plan work for China?
Soon you are graduating, and yet you have
only begun your education, for education is a lifetime pursuit. In this pursuit, many of you will
consider studying abroad and taking advantage of the rich opportunities
available in well-established scientific/engineering communities in other
nations, the United States among them.
I urge you to do that. At
the same time, I urge you to think what you can do for China, because your
country needs your talents to assume its leadership role among the nations of
the world. Since the 1970s, according to the People s Daily, over
400,000 Chinese students have studied abroad. Ninety percent of them received
master's degrees or doctorates. Some 140,000 Chinese students have returned to
China after studying overseas. Nearly 4,000 new enterprises have been
established here by these students, with a total output value exceeding 10
billion yuan. This result may be encouraging by some measures, but more needs
to be done to make China an inviting place for the return of its trained
scientists. Specifically, it is
important that China create more opportunities for its talented young people to
return to Chinese universities and to Chinese industry with the means to carry
out first-class research. To
create those opportunities will require great investment and sacrifice, but
such a policy will reward the nation with greatness. China must support its
young scientists and engineers to become the leaders of tomorrow.
It is time to stop viewing the world so much
in terms of nation-states. As we
become wiser, we realize that we are living together on one fragile planet and
that it is one interconnected world.
Let us strive to become members of the global community of scholars.
Science by its very nature bridges national boundaries. Researchers know the
players and experts in their field, no matter what the country of origin, the
culture, or the language in which those colleagues work. This international
scientific bonding has accelerated with the information revolution.
I stand before the best and brightest
students in China. Hunan is well known for "outstanding people and magic
land" ("Ren Jie Di Ling" in Chinese). Many leaders came from Hunan in Chinese history, and they
changed not only China but also the world. I expect the new graduates here will
continue that proud tradition, largely through science and technology in this
new era for China. Let me offer my congratulations to this graduating class of
Hunan University.
In closing, I admit that knowledge alone is
not enough to make a better world.
Knowledge must be combined with values and dreams. Only if there are
values and dreams can science and engineering lead to human progress. It is
your challenge, Hunan University Class of 2002, to make China and this entire
world a better place than you have found it.
I wish you well in your journeys through
life.