Prominent Professor Yau Shing-tung Visits SYSU

 

World renowned mathematician Professor Yau Shing-tung visits Sun Yat-sen University on the morning of March 26, and delivered a speech titled Higher Education at the Swasey Hall at the South Campus.

Born in Shantou, Guangdong Province, in 1949, Professor Yau Shing-tung is a member of the American Academy of Science, and a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the National Academy of Lincei, Italy. Currently a tenured professor and the dean of the Department at Harvard University, Professor Yau Shing-tung has received a number of academic awards, including the Fields Medal, the most prestigious award for mathematicians, as well as the National Medal of Science Award, and the Crafoord Prize from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

In his speech, Yau Shing-tung pointed out the significant role of higher education in a country’s development. With a comparison between Chinese culture and western culture, he traced the origin and objective of higher education, and illustrated the most pressing problems facing the current higher education in China from seven aspects. Professor Yau also emphasized the importance of culture cultivation for scientific research, even for the entire higher education, encouraging the students to pay attention to the improvement and development of their humanistic quality while pursuing the scientific truth.

After the speech, Professor Yau answered the questions raised by the students who were deeply impressed by his legendary experiences and sagacious mind.

 

2009.3.27