After returning to China 12 years, he not only became a "trinity academician"-an academician of the China Academy of Sciences, a foreign academician of the American Academy of Sciences, and a foreign academician of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, but also served as an assistant to the president of Tsinghua University, vice president, and dean of the School of Life Sciences, and now he has become the president of West Lake University. Deeply respected and valued by everyone, he is a great and respected person.
The inaugural meeting of West Lake University was held in Hangzhou on October 20th, 20 18/KLOC-0. It is also the first new research-oriented university sponsored by social forces and supported by the state in the history of New China, which has attracted great public attention.
Drawing lessons from the scale of California Institute of Technology and the philosophy of Stanford University, this university adheres to the orientation of "high starting point, small but refined, research-oriented", and the top talents take the lead in setting up relevant departments, proposing to build three colleges of life science, science and engineering first.
According to the original plan, the initial time of West Lake University is 20 17 to 202 1 year. There is no undergraduate enrollment plan during the period, but full-time enrollment 1220. Not surprisingly, it was not until 2023 that this university began to recruit and train undergraduates. It is estimated that in 2026, West Lake University will officially enter the development period, and the number of full-time students is expected to reach 5,000, including 3,000 graduate students and 2,000 undergraduate students.
In fact, West Lake University can be said to be an investment school. China's leading industries have invested nearly 20 billion yuan, and now they have such a scale. Such a large sum of money can not only promote the construction of school infrastructure, but also attract more talents to join. Just like Yu Hong Tao, Dean of the School of Life Sciences, Zheng Li, Dean of the School of Science, and Yang Yang, Dean of the Institute of Technology, these people are world-renowned scientists. At the invitation of Shi, they joined the ranks of West Lake University, and it is also very valuable to be able to return to their own countries to help them develop.
So far, West Lake University has carried out five rounds of activities to attract outstanding talents, mainly introducing outstanding leading talents and young scientists, and has signed up 37 high-level academic talents so far. It is estimated that by 202 1, the number of teachers will continue to expand to about 2 10, and it will reach 300 by 2026.
At present, there is a shortage of talents in West Lake University, and Yu Hongtao is no exception. His laboratory is also recruiting people. He said that he would rather spend an hour to see whether a young man is suitable for scientific research than get to know a person through a beautifully crafted resume. Scientific research depends on a person's endurance, so it is necessary to hold your horses, not blindly follow the trend, not too purposeful, nor too utilitarian. What he said obviously means that he has his own principles in employing people, which indirectly reflects that West Lake University has given full autonomy to the talents on campus. They can select talents according to their own wishes and are not bound by traditional ideas, which also enables young talents to give full play to their abilities.
Therefore, although the formal establishment of West Lake University is still very short, its history is not long. However, its talent gathering speed and development degree are amazing, and its strength cannot be underestimated. Especially under the leadership of Shi, now West Lake University has officially become a dazzling star.
When West Lake University was founded, it threatened to surpass Tsinghua within five years. The real purpose of establishing this university is to make it as advanced as California Institute of Technology.
California Institute of Technology itself is a research university, which was established to train outstanding scientists and engineers. But after so many years of exploration and growth, undergraduates and graduate students also confessed. But West Lake University has just been established, and everything is still in its infancy. It is still difficult to surpass Tsinghua in five years. Tsinghua University, after all, is the highest institution of higher learning in China, with a history of 100 years and profound cultural heritage. Today's Tsinghua University is far stronger than West Lake University in terms of teachers, discipline construction, scientific research level and comprehensive strength, not to mention its influence in the world.
However, although it is difficult for West Lake University to surpass Tsinghua at present, it is not impossible in the long run. After all, its operation mode is completely different from that of Tsinghua, and its long-term development is worth looking forward to.
We all know that every university has its advantages and disadvantages. It is possible for West Lake University to surpass Tsinghua University in a certain field in a short time, and it is still possible. In addition, with such a principal, we are full of confidence in him. Both life and academic level are very commendable. Plus, he used to be the vice principal of Tsinghua University, so he knew everything about Tsinghua. He knows how colleges and universities develop and what problems to avoid in the process of development. These experiences are very beneficial to the next construction and development of West Lake University.
Shi said in his evaluation that dedication is very important. As scientists and teachers, dedication is the core quality. He knows that although he has made some achievements in the field of structural biology, he has been at the forefront of the world. But what he wants to see more is that every subject in China can develop in an all-round way and reach the international leading level at an early date. As the saying goes, science and technology are the primary productive forces. With the development of science and technology, China's economic and social development is more dynamic.
It can also be seen from here that the teacher has made a good position for the development of West Lake University. All disciplines need to make progress together, and they all need to be conscientious, persistent and persevering in each next link. We firmly believe that although the development of West Lake University is still not perfect, the future West Lake University will certainly create brilliance and develop continuously, facing China and the world.