Editorials

Truly worthy talents

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-01-12 07:47

Despite pervasive discredit of many other prizes and honors awarded by administrative authorities, the State Top Scientific and Technological Award proves, once again, that it's the exception.

Like the 14 honorees before them, the recipients of the 2009 award -mathematician Gu Chaohao and carrier rocket and satellite expert Sun Jiadong - are well worth the award.

Professor Gu, who has been teaching and conducting research for more than 60 years, has been a leader in some of the nation's most crucial research and development projects. He has also fostered generations of young talent in mathematics.

Sun, regarded as the "father of Chinese satellites", has been a prolific trailblazer in the nation's ventures into space. He has had his personal stamp in virtually every leap and stride this country has made in space technology.

The State Top Scientific and Technological Award honors those who have made major breakthroughs in the forefront of contemporary science and technologies; outstanding contributions to push both fields forward; or those who created tremendous economic or social benefits through scientific and technological innovations, transfer of scientific and technological achievements, and industrialization of high technologies.

Both Gu and Sun deserve the award and the honor's significance is partly why the honor is free of criticism that have befallen other awards offered by government institutions.

Truly worthy talents

After all that these diligent scientists have done for this country, it is about time they receive the acknowledgement they deserve. The 5 million yuan ($732,300) awarded to each is nothing compared with their accomplishments. Both in their 80s - Gu and Sun were born in 1926 and 1929, respectively - the two have contributed most of their lives to this nation's scientific and technological pursuits. And both have not stopped their endeavors. In their driving spirit, we see persistence increasingly rare in our younger generations.

Masters such as Gu and Sun as well as pioneers from older generations are fading out and we have reason to worry about the prospects of scientific and technological undertakings, particularly when there is no promise of immediate gains.

With the youngest recipient of the award, born in 1937 and honored in 2001, gone, the youngest living recipient is now 77 years old. Unlike the older generations who put more emphasis on honest academic work, young people are less likely to concentrate on scholarly endeavors.

So we are not worried if there will be candidates for awards such as the one received by Gu and Sun. After all, there will always be high achievers who succeed others. We only wonder if, a generation or two from now, this country will continue to find truly outstanding talents with worthy achievements.

(China Daily 01/12/2010 page8)