On August 9th, a "Truth-seeking Tour Lecture" of Qiuzhen College was held at the Huang Biyao Building of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Mr. Shing-Tung Yau, Dean of Truth-seeking College of Tsinghua University, Director of Shing-Tung Yau Center of Mathematical Sciences of Tsinghua University, Dean of Yanqi Lake Institute of Applied Mathematics of Beijing, and Director of Institute of Mathematical Sciences of Chinese University of Hong Kong, attended the scene and delivered a speech. Dr. Cai Ruolian, the director of Education Bureau of Hong Kong, Pan Weixian, vice-chancellor professor of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Professor Zou Jun, the director of the mathematics department of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Professor Zhong Zixin and Chen Guowei, deputy directors of the mathematics department of Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Professor Zhang Yihua of Shing-Tung Yau Center of Mathematical Sciences of Tsinghua University attended the event.
Picture: The lecture site.
Before the meeting opening, the students of Qiuzhen sang the song "Ode to the Truth", showing the studying spirit of the students to the teachers and students.
Picture: Qiuzhen students sang the school song.
Dr. Cai Ruolian delivered the opening speech. She said that she was very lucky to be with the students from the mainland and Hong Kong of China, with seeking truth, learning and studying. She explained the importance of mathematics from both the role of mathematics itself and the meaning of learning mathematics. She mentioned that mathematics is the common language of our human civilizations, the knowledge that modern life requires, and an important basis for scientific and technological innovation. Education Bureau of Hong Kong attaches great importance to the cultivation of students and hopes to establish a strong talent pool to support Hong Kong's development into an international innovation and technology center and better integrate into the overall development of the country. She encouraged the students present to take Mr.Yau as an example, striving for excellence in the field of mathematics with a firm spirit, and applying the knowledge they have learned to the construction of the society and solving the problems of people's livelihood, so as to make contributions to the development of the motherland of China.
Picture: Dr. Cai Ruolian delivered a speech.
In his speech, Professor Pan Weixian mentioned that the Chinese University of Hong Kong has been committed to the development and cooperation with Tsinghua University for many years,
especially in the field of mathematics. He has had close contact in the recent decade and made great achievements, which are inseparable from Mr.Yau's guidance and efforts. The Department of Mathematics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong has trained many top mathematics students from all over the world and also within Hong Kong. She hoped that the Qiuzhen students will have the ability to adapt globally, cross the terrain boundaries, mind the universe, and contribute to the society for human-beings. Finally, she hoped that this lecture can promote the students from universities and middle school including Tsinghua University students to exchange learning experience and make progress; she hoped that through this story of Amalie Noether, the students could learn how to let our knowledge go out, to overcome the limitations of race and contribute to the motherland and even to the world.
Picture: Prof. Pan Weixian delivered a speech.
Hao Yuheng, a student of Grade 2021 from Qiuzhen College, gave a report entitled "Amalie Noether's Contribution to Algebra", explaining Amalie Noether's contribution and the influence of her work on mathematics from the aspects of her life, her contribution to commutative Algebra, and her students and schools. He introduced that Amalie Noether was a great female mathematician. She was treated much unfairly at her time, but she still persistently pursued academia and made a lot of achievements, which had a great impact in the fields of mathematics and physics. After Amalie Noether, many directions of mathematics, including commutative and algebraic geometry, number theory, representation theory, homological algebra, and algebraic topology, were developed under the influence of her school.
Picture: Hao Yuheng made a report.
Professor Zhang Yihua introduced the Qiuzhen College. He helped the teachers and students to have more understanding of the College from the aspects of its establishment background, talent training program, curriculum, faculty, talent training characteristics, and achievements. At the same time, he encouraged the interested students to come to Tsinghua University and join the College!
Picture: Prof.Zhang Yihua introduced Qiuzhen College.
In his concluding speech, Mr.Yau first spoke to the teachers and students. He recalled his studying life in Hong Kong before the age of 20. By comparing the living conditions of the present and the past, he hoped that everyone of today’s students could learn how great mathematicians grow up in adversity. "First-class research can't be smooth sailing. When you want to complete a college question, you will always experience several failures. If we can't learn deeply from failure, we can't grow, or we can't complete to answer the great questions." Mr.Yau appreciated Amalie Noether very much and introduced her experiences and contributions. He noted that Amalie Noether had suffered many setbacks in her life, but she was still focused on her academic work, and that her students had also influenced many people. He hoped that in the face of difficulties and setbacks, students should not complain, concentrate on knowledge, not utilitarian, but learn more from the great mathematicians and professors. Mr.Yau said "From the 1950s to the 1970s, I
was in Hong Kong, and what I wanted to do was just learning. In those days, the social conditions in Hong Kong were more than ten times worse than yours today, but I never thought of giving up good learning. Today, the students are talking about making money, and they want to get a good career, which is understandable. However, as a good citizen, I hope that some good students in Hong Kong are willing to make some significant contribution to the country. I hope that our college students can communicate more with the students in Hong Kong."Finally, he hoped that the outstanding Hong Kong students could come to Beijing to have more exchanges and make contributions to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Picture: Mr.Yau delivered a speech.
Picture: Students asked questions.
Picture: Mr. Yau presented souvenirs to the students who asked questions and then he took a group photo.
"Truth-seeking Tour Lecture" was advocated by Mr.Yau, and by the college students. It is on mathematics history, aims to let more students understand the history of mathematics, understand the greatest mathematicians, and their important contributions to the development of mathematics in different periods, different countries, to explore the development of the world mathematics history, stand on the shoulders of giants, learn from these mathematics masters, especially learing from their methods and attitude, and also in order to let more primary and middle school students have strong interest in mathematics. In other words, this lecture aims to let the profound mathematics go into civilian.
Before that, the "Truth-seeking Tour Lecture" has been successfully held in nine cities, including Zunyi, Guilin, Guangxi, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Hefei, Anhui, Shanghai, Qufu, Shandong, Guangzhou and Beijing. This lecture is the 11th session held by Qiuzhen College. It is the first step to face the world and back to the motherland of China. It is strongly supported by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong TV and China Association for Science and Technology. The representatives of teachers and students of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the representatives of Qiuzhen College and nearly 200 teachers and students from many primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong attended the event.
Text | Liu Xin
Proofread | Guo Youran
Typography | Gong Wei
Audit | Wang Xiaofang, Xie Lufang
Translation | Gao Xudong
