Recently, the 15th Student Scientific Awards ceremony was held at the Peiyang Park Campus. Ten students were awarded the prize and another ten were nominated.

This year, after the completion of the award selection criteria, nominated students needed to meet the following requirements. Each student had to demonstrate a combination of scientific and humanitarian spirit, an ability to apply what was learned to the advancement of the society and the nation, and a worldwide view with inter-cultural understanding. The ten winners who reached this standard were Lai Zhixin, an undergraduate of 2014 from the School of Electrical Automation and Information Engineering, Zhan Haomiao, an undergraduate of 2014 from the School of Mechanical Engineering, Lin Muyang, an undergraduate of 2014 from the School of Precision Instrument and Opto-electronics Engineering, Huang Zhiqi, a doctoral student of 2013 from the School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Guo Yachao, an undergraduate of 2013 from the Honors College, Tian Hongliang, a master's student of 2014 from the School of Life Sciences, Zheng Bin, a doctoral student of 2014 from the School of Life Sciences, Zhang Runnan, a doctoral student of 2014 from the School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Zheng Xueli, an undergraduate recommended for a doctoral degree of 2012 from the School of Materials Science and Technology and Cheng Qianfu, a doctoral student of 2012 from the School of Microelectronics Sciences.

Professor J. Fraser Stoddart, joint winner of the 2016 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry, a National Thousand Talent Plan Scholar (short-term) and Professor of TJU’s School of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, sent his wishes to the ceremony by video, in which he said, “If you are to achieve something, you have to persevere like a horse, be modest like an elephant and be diligent like a bee. To do these requires enormous patience and persistence.”

Among the award winners, Lai Zhixin not only accumulated rich experience in scientific contests, but also gained remarkable results in study, ranking top in his department. Believing that “the key to a problem lies with yourself as the environment will not change”, he improved himself constantly in research and daily life, leading a meaningful and colorful life. Applying knowledge to practical uses, he invented the smart walking stick, bringing convenience to the blind. Zhan Haomiao achieved exceptional remarks in scientific research. With a zeal for technology, he took responsibility for the programs of the College Students Challenge Cup and College Students Innovation and Creativity Contest, leading his classmates to develop new technologies. Lin Muyang, whose motto is “doing the most desired thing in the best time of life”, excels in the field of artificial intelligence. Demonstrating his rich imagination and remarkable creativity, he shared his hi-tech story including his work with virtual reality and unmanned aircraft.

Huang Zhiqi’s motto is “be brave to think and act, be brave to face up to difficulties”. Step by step, he accessed high-level research fields with his sound knowledge, flexible application of that knowledge, relentless pursuit and resolve in solving difficult problems. He has published essays in "Nature Communications". Guo Yachao, who was called “a handsome female senior” for her boy-like personality, has twice broken the TJU record in mathematical modeling competitions. At the ceremony, she read a poem she composed "To Grandma", which greatly touched the audience. Tian Hongliang, as the leader of his project, is the first in the world to discover in high resolution the three dimensional structure of the helicase of the Zika virus in the process of its duplication. “No matter how rugged is the road of research, one has to persist until the last”, he said. Initially, when he started the research on the Zika virus with his teacher Yang Haitao, he did not think of the outcome, for in his eyes, he should simply do his best since he had chosen the project. However, once started, he never gave up, nor would he regret his choice even if he should fail. Zheng Bin regarded research as his mission in life. With the motto of “to strive for the future rather than to regret the past”, he has set high standards for himself. “Normally, I arrived at the laboratory at seven in the morning and won’t return to my dorm until two o’clock the next morning. The doorkeeper will lock the door of the building after seeing me off”.

“Research requires interest and ambition. I would like to do my best in my prime of life”. With high-level essays published on Nature and Science, one essay published as a cover paper of Advanced Materials and three patents, Zheng Xueli aspired to pursue a path of research from a young age. In pursuit of her aspirations, she chose a doctoral degree. Now, she is going to Stanford to do a postdoctoral degree, but she will return to China to contribute to the development of China’s renewable energy. Zhang Runnan’s ambition is “to be a great researcher”. He has lived up to it with dozens of published essays, multiple awards from home and abroad and several ongoing national and provincial projects. Cheng Qianfu, a dream chaser, knows that only sufficient scientific knowledge can support his dream of scientific research. Despite the hardships in the process of dream chasing, he has reaped heaps of fruit through his massive accumulation of knowledge.

At the end of the ceremony, the ten winners recited to music an original poem, "Salutation to Science-Stories of TJU". By telling stories of scientific craftsmanship and the ordinary scientific researcher, the poem demonstrated the scientific spirit and the patriotic emotion and revealed the mission and responsibility of TJU students to strengthen the nation.

“Student Scientific Awards” enjoys the reputation of a “Students’ Nobel Prize” at TJU. Over the past fifteen years, a total of 151 students have won the award. Altogether, they have published 1,008 papers with an Impact Factor of 1,385 and have applied successfully for 326 patents.