GTIIT held a seminar on "Future Functional Materials under Extreme Conditions". Specialists and scholars from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and many well-known universities across the country gathered together. After the meeting, they accepted interviews from GT student journalists, talked with students about their life experiences such as education and scientific research, and put forward valuable suggestions for the future development of GT students.

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Interview| “大咖”面对面·汪卫华院士——折叠屏背后的科研专家

Introduction

Prof. Ma Yanming, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Committee and Vice President of Jilin University, is the Leading Expert of National "Ten Thousand Talents Program" and winner of the National Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars. He has twice won the second prize of the National Natural Science Award (2015 and 2019) and has been mainly engaged in condensed matter theory, superconductivity, high pressure physics and quantum control.

Actions speak louder than words

For undergraduate students, it is "taboo" to set ambitious plans without the ability. Prof. Ma believes that instead of worrying about the failure to achieve a big goal, they should set a small goal at each stage and complete them one by one. "Students don't need to think about achieving big goals at the moment. As you work through these small ones, your vision will be expanded and your aims may change."

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step

"It is very good to choose the path of scientific research. As many national policies are supporting scientific research, it will be better and better!" Accumulation is especially important on the road to scientific research. Prof. Ma said, "Study is a process of accumulation. Little by little you will get results. In addition, mentors also matter. But you don't have to worry about that, because the teachers at GTIIT are excellent."

Think independently and be good at asking questions

"Learning to work and think independently is crucial," Prof. Ma believes students should consciously cultivate their ability to work independently, and develop the habit of asking questions. "On the way of scientific research, it is inevitable to ask questions. The essence of scientific research is to ask questions and then solve them. Prof. Ma appreciates GTIIT's "tradition" of asking questions-- teachers encourage students to raise questions at any time in class and use questions to drive the teaching process. He hopes that students can keep this good habit, so that this excellent learning ability can accompany with their whole life.

Journalist's Note

Before the interview with Prof. Ma, I was honored but uneasy. During the conversation, I found Prof. Ma very easygoing. He was happy to know that I wanted to engage in scientific research in the future and shared a lot of experience with me. He said that independent thinking was very important in scientific research. As a student major in science and engineering program, I quite agree with him. In the process of our research, it is normal to meet difficulties. But if we have the ability of independent thinking, we will not panic and think about how to solve problems bit by bit.

For those of us who are advancing on the road of scientific research, Prof. Ma is a model to look up to. I hope that under the inspiration of outstanding predecessors, we can persevere and try our best to achieve our dreams step by step.

 Prof. Ma and GTIIT student journalist Li Yuhan 

Text: Li Yuhan, GTIIT News & Public Affairs

Photos: GTIIT News & Public Affairs