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Home » Opinion » Chinese Views
Reformer shakes up science education
By Gong Yidong |
October 26, 2009, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
HE has a mixture of roles: a reformist in China's most prestigious Peking University and a vigilant observer of problematic Chinese science systems.
Rao Yi is not content to be a researcher hidden in labs and literature. "Intellectuals should have a clear mind on social issues and make due contributions by speaking out and taking actions," he says.
Rao is most notable for his opinion article "A Fundamental Transition from Rule-by-Man to Rule-by-Merit" published in the London-based science journal Nature in 2005.
In it he questioned the loopholes of China's Mid-to-Long Term Plan (MLP) of Science and Technology (2006-2020) and made straightforward proposals.
Born into an intellectual family in southern China's Jiangxi Province in 1962, Rao was determined to become a "scientist influencing mankind" when he sat for college matriculation examinations in 1978.
Rao had hoped to study physics and mathematics at the University of Science and Technology in Hefei, capital of Anhui Province. But against his wishes, Rao was enrolled by a medical college in Jiangxi Province.
Five years later, he because a post-graduate student of Shanghai Medical University. The lively academic atmosphere provided eye-opening opportunities for his standing on the threshold of scientific research.
He focused on the newly discovered subject molecular neurobiology and went to the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in 1985 to pursue his doctorate.
Science is fun
UCSF, renowned for its biomedical sciences, gave Rao access to a wide range of pioneering and inter-disciplinary research in genetics, developmental biology, structural biology and virology.
"The academic training at UCSF was very important to me, mainly due to its comprehensive spectrum," he said. "On top of that, the US scientists' attitude toward science influenced me greatly, as they regarded research as fun. This was quite different from the Chinese concept of scientists wearing a serious face all day long."
Rao's spirit of independence, perhaps inherited from his father, which had long been suppressed, was allowed to blossom in San Francisco.
"Science requires innovation and frowns upon repetition. You can hardly rely upon others for new ideas - thinking which suits my temperament."
Five years later, Rao's research on the "big brain" gene of Drosophila was published in Nature, launching his career as a neurobiologist. Upon graduation, Rao received a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard University.
"I don't think Harvard was as useful as UCSF in my academic training, but I enjoyed the diversity of activities at Harvard, including the history of Russia and avant-garde films. There are many interesting things outside science."
Professionalism
Leaving Harvard, Rao accepted an offer in 1994 from Washington University in St Louis, in the state of Missouri, and established his first laboratory, where he came to appreciate professionalism.
"Personal relationships often override professionalism in China, but this is far from acceptable in the US. The two things must be separated from each other in a clear manner."
In the following years, Rao often traveled back to China and gave lectures at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, which deepened his understanding of the differences between China and the United States in terms of the environment for science and research.
Rao continued his observation of China's science systems and flung bombs one after another, culminating in his bold writings published in Nature. In a lengthy article, he criticized the administrative organs' tight control of science and technology funds and called on the establishment of a Premier's Office of S&T to replace the Ministry of Science and Technology.
This would give scientists more freedom, rather than being enslaved by funds handled by officials.
In Rao's view, it is also imperative to reform Chinese education. "Traditionally, Chinese students are expected to get high grades and behave appropriately at the expense of their personalities and potential for innovation," he says.
In 2007, Rao was invited to become dean of the School of Life Sciences at Peking University. Under his leadership, the school went through reforms covering teaching, research, culture and management. The ultimate aim is to "allow the students' potentials to develop to the greatest degree so that they will be intellectual leaders in the future."
Guanxi for grades and assessment has been replaced by peer reviews and the annual monitoring of research results has given way to a long-term mechanism that encourages dedication to science.
Specialized committees comprised of professors play a role in deciding on procurement of equipment and formulation of course content.
But Rao knows that like the development of science and research in China, the improvement of its ailing education system needs time and patience; he is ready to overcome the obstacles.
(The author is a writer at Xinhua news agency.)
Rao Yi is not content to be a researcher hidden in labs and literature. "Intellectuals should have a clear mind on social issues and make due contributions by speaking out and taking actions," he says.
Rao is most notable for his opinion article "A Fundamental Transition from Rule-by-Man to Rule-by-Merit" published in the London-based science journal Nature in 2005.
In it he questioned the loopholes of China's Mid-to-Long Term Plan (MLP) of Science and Technology (2006-2020) and made straightforward proposals.
Born into an intellectual family in southern China's Jiangxi Province in 1962, Rao was determined to become a "scientist influencing mankind" when he sat for college matriculation examinations in 1978.
Rao had hoped to study physics and mathematics at the University of Science and Technology in Hefei, capital of Anhui Province. But against his wishes, Rao was enrolled by a medical college in Jiangxi Province.
Five years later, he because a post-graduate student of Shanghai Medical University. The lively academic atmosphere provided eye-opening opportunities for his standing on the threshold of scientific research.
He focused on the newly discovered subject molecular neurobiology and went to the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) in 1985 to pursue his doctorate.
Science is fun
UCSF, renowned for its biomedical sciences, gave Rao access to a wide range of pioneering and inter-disciplinary research in genetics, developmental biology, structural biology and virology.
"The academic training at UCSF was very important to me, mainly due to its comprehensive spectrum," he said. "On top of that, the US scientists' attitude toward science influenced me greatly, as they regarded research as fun. This was quite different from the Chinese concept of scientists wearing a serious face all day long."
Rao's spirit of independence, perhaps inherited from his father, which had long been suppressed, was allowed to blossom in San Francisco.
"Science requires innovation and frowns upon repetition. You can hardly rely upon others for new ideas - thinking which suits my temperament."
Five years later, Rao's research on the "big brain" gene of Drosophila was published in Nature, launching his career as a neurobiologist. Upon graduation, Rao received a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard University.
"I don't think Harvard was as useful as UCSF in my academic training, but I enjoyed the diversity of activities at Harvard, including the history of Russia and avant-garde films. There are many interesting things outside science."
Professionalism
Leaving Harvard, Rao accepted an offer in 1994 from Washington University in St Louis, in the state of Missouri, and established his first laboratory, where he came to appreciate professionalism.
"Personal relationships often override professionalism in China, but this is far from acceptable in the US. The two things must be separated from each other in a clear manner."
In the following years, Rao often traveled back to China and gave lectures at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, which deepened his understanding of the differences between China and the United States in terms of the environment for science and research.
Rao continued his observation of China's science systems and flung bombs one after another, culminating in his bold writings published in Nature. In a lengthy article, he criticized the administrative organs' tight control of science and technology funds and called on the establishment of a Premier's Office of S&T to replace the Ministry of Science and Technology.
This would give scientists more freedom, rather than being enslaved by funds handled by officials.
In Rao's view, it is also imperative to reform Chinese education. "Traditionally, Chinese students are expected to get high grades and behave appropriately at the expense of their personalities and potential for innovation," he says.
In 2007, Rao was invited to become dean of the School of Life Sciences at Peking University. Under his leadership, the school went through reforms covering teaching, research, culture and management. The ultimate aim is to "allow the students' potentials to develop to the greatest degree so that they will be intellectual leaders in the future."
Guanxi for grades and assessment has been replaced by peer reviews and the annual monitoring of research results has given way to a long-term mechanism that encourages dedication to science.
Specialized committees comprised of professors play a role in deciding on procurement of equipment and formulation of course content.
But Rao knows that like the development of science and research in China, the improvement of its ailing education system needs time and patience; he is ready to overcome the obstacles.
(The author is a writer at Xinhua news agency.)
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