The goal guided him step by step from a child in the countryside to a tenured professor in the United States

On April 19, 2005, in a remote mountain village in Shiquan Township, Daqiao District, Nannan County, there was the sound of firecrackers. There was a huge crowd. In the eager anticipation of the villagers, Ren Zhifeng, chief scientist of the Boston College NanoLab and a tenured professor in the United States, and his wife He Ruiping returned to their beloved hometown.

The return of Ren Zhifeng broke the tranquility of the mountain village, and also brought new hope to his alma mater, Daqiao Middle School. His story of studying hard back then has been widely circulated again...

Don't change your ideals just because of temporary difficulties

In August 1963, Ren Zhifeng was born into a poor farmer in Shiquan Township, Nannan County family. Ms. Ren’s family has seven children, and life is very tight. Just three meals a day is a headache for her parents. Perhaps because of poverty, Ren Zhifeng became sensible earlier than other children and studied harder than other children. From elementary school to junior high school, his grades always ranked first in the grade.

In 1977, after graduating from junior high school, Ren Zhifeng applied for a normal school. Because he was small and frail and had no "teacher", he was eliminated during the interview. Ren Zhifeng faced two choices: one was to review for one year and go to a technical secondary school, and the other was to study in high school for three years and then take the college entrance examination. Although he always wanted to be a scientist so that his parents and fellow villagers could live a good life through scientific farming, after careful consideration and considering the difficulty of raising tuition fees for his parents, Ren Zhifeng decided to take the technical secondary school entrance examination.

In September of that year, Ren Zhifeng started reviewing with complicated emotions. Unexpectedly, the teachers He Guoan and Zhu Yongcong who had taught him soon discovered this situation. They couldn't bear that a student with both good character and academic performance would lose the chance to go to college, so they invited teacher Zhang Zhengfu to come to Ren Zhifeng's home and tried their best to help his parents: "Zhifeng is a kid who studies hard and has excellent grades. He will definitely not be able to pass the high school entrance examination and go to college." Question. It can be said that he is the best student we have encountered in all our years of teaching. I hope you can respect our opinions. If we have financial difficulties, let's find a solution together, okay?" Ren Zhifeng is very grateful and knows that the teacher is very important. He cared about himself, but he couldn't bear the trouble of his elderly and frail parents, so he refused: "I can study further even if I go to a technical secondary school!"

"We believe you can study further. Zhifeng, you are not Have you ever said that you want to be a scientist when you grow up? If your vision is limited, your knowledge will be limited, and then you will become a daydreamer in the future? Besides, we cannot be short-sighted when we are poor, and we must move towards the goal we have identified. Strive for it and never change your original intention because of temporary difficulties!" He Guoan can't wait to get through the ideological work all at once. Ren Zongchun, the usually taciturn father, was moved and immediately expressed his stance: "No matter how hard it is, no matter how tired it is, we accept it. Don't worry, teachers, we will let our children go to school with peace of mind."

I haven't had a full meal in high school in three years

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After the National Day in October 1977, Ren Zhifeng walked into Daqiao Middle School. Since then, in Daqiao Middle School, every night there is a student who is still immersed in studying after the lights-out bell rings; every morning, when others are still sleeping, that student quietly gets up and walks into the classroom...

< p>When Ren Zhifeng was in high school, drought was severe in southern counties, and many families failed to harvest rice for several consecutive years. Without rice, Ren Zhifeng had to eat unpalatable corn rice for three meals a day. Sometimes he couldn't even eat enough and had to attend lectures hungry. Sometimes he was so hungry that it was hard to fall asleep, so Ren Zhifeng quietly got up and read...

Due to the drought, water use in the school was strictly restricted. , Ren Zhifeng rarely washed his face and feet for a month or two, and he didn't even wash his lunch box often. Also because of the drought, in order to raise tuition fees, Ren Zhifeng's parents had to go to a deep well far away from home in the middle of the night every day to fetch water, and then scoop it up one ladle at a time. He scooped it up and carried it home to water the vegetables, and then saved the dime from selling the vegetables as Ren Zhifeng's tuition...

Recalling his high school life today, Ren Zhifeng still remembers it fresh. He told the author that in the three years of high school, he had never worn a new piece of clothing, never had a full meal, and had never eaten pork once. It is hard for ordinary people to imagine the poverty of his life. Despite studying and living in such a difficult environment, his desire to become a scientist never wavered. Because mentally, his parents, teachers and friends have always been with him and encouraged him.

It should be said that it was a "blessing in disguise". These setbacks and tribulations laid a solid foundation for him to overcome one difficulty after another in scientific research and overcome one difficulty after another.

Goals guided him to success step by step

In 1980, Ren Zhifeng was admitted to the Mechanical Department of Sichuan Institute of Technology with excellent results. On the day he received the admission notice, he became extremely frustrated when he saw that his major was mechanical casting. He thought, how different is mechanical casting from the blacksmith in a small town? This is completely different from his desire to be a scientist. Ren Zhifeng really wanted to give up going to college and review for another year to try to get into a prestigious university next year. However, thinking about his family's financial situation, he hesitated. He couldn't bear to ask his parents to work hard for another year. It just so happened that Teacher He Guoan came and encouraged him after learning his idea. As long as he works hard after going to college, he will definitely achieve his goals.

The teacher’s encouragement gave him hope again.

However, when he stepped into the university campus full of pride, he found that the campus environment was very different from the "ivory tower" he had imagined. He once again felt that his future was bleak and had the idea of ????muddling along. He didn't study hard, and as a result, he ranked third in the class in the final exam of the first semester, which made him feel a little dizzy.

One day, Ren Zhifeng accidentally read a piece of news in the newspaper, saying that a rural child with a life experience similar to his was admitted to a graduate school. He was deeply shocked and thought to himself that others had poor conditions but did not give up their pursuit. Why couldn't he do the same? That night, Ren Zhifeng couldn't sleep. While tossing and turning, he suddenly found someone in the dormitory quietly reading a book. He was very surprised. He pretended to get out of bed and went to the bathroom, only to see that the classmate was preparing for the postgraduate entrance examination. So, the next day, he bought back the books for the postgraduate entrance examination with the money he saved.

In 1984, Ren Zhifeng was admitted to Huazhong Institute of Technology and studied casting under Zhang Chengfu. He positioned his scientific research direction on the metal solidification theory at the forefront of scientific research. From Sichuan Institute of Technology to Huazhong Institute of Technology, Ren Zhifeng's horizons broadened a lot, and some new ideas quickly formed in his mind. He knew that he was not far away from his goal of becoming a scientist, and he would definitely succeed if he persisted. At this time, he set his sights on the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the highest academic institution in science and technology. In 1987, he was admitted to the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and engaged in superconducting physics research. In order to obtain scientific research results as soon as possible, while engaged in research, Ren Zhifeng wrote letters to contact some foreign universities, expressing his desire to study abroad. He sent hundreds of letters three times, but they all fell into the sea like mud. Fortunately, those who work hard will eventually get lucky. Finally, New York University in the United States stretched out its warm hands from the other side of the Pacific.

Ren Zhifeng compared the United States to a battlefield for young people. He told the author that when he first arrived there, when he expressed his desire to engage in superconducting research, an American professor with a tall nose and blue eyes told him coldly that only idiots would do superconducting research. The professor also told Ren Zhifeng in front of everyone that it would never be possible to get a professorship in the United States. Faced with the challenge, Ren Zhifeng gritted his teeth. He put out all his hard work in middle school and took root in the laboratory every day...

Ren Zhifeng's study visa is for three years. After the three-year period, if he If there is no achievement in scientific research, he will return to the Chinese Academy of Sciences unconditionally. In the third year, Ren Zhifeng's research on superconductivity had entered the final stage. Seeing that his visa was about to expire, he was very anxious.

There is no perfect path for everyone. Finally, before his visa expired, the superconducting paper he wrote had been published in an authoritative American academic journal. Professor Wang Ruijun of New York University at Buffalo was very interested in his thesis. In order to help Ren Zhifeng continue his research, Professor Wang specially established a superconducting research laboratory and appointed Zhifeng as a research professor. The success came naturally. A year later, the carbon nanotube technology and nano-water purification technology studied by Ren Zhifeng caused a sensation in the United States: This kind of carbon nanotube grown on glass at a high temperature of 600 degrees Celsius is only one ten thousandth of the size of a human hair. Although it is thin, its hardness exceeds that of steel, and its application prospects are immeasurable.

The American professor who once predicted that he would not be able to obtain a professorship at an American university changed his mind and called Ren Zhifeng a genius. It is simply incredible.

Still with a Chinese heart

In 1996, Ren Zhifeng obtained American citizenship. Although his nationality has changed, his affection for his motherland and hometown has never changed. He always pays attention to the changes in the motherland, and often explains Chinese history to his two children and asks them to learn Chinese so that they can contribute to the motherland in the future. Every year on major festivals such as the Mid-Autumn Festival, Spring Festival, and National Day, Ren Zhifeng and his wife would call their teachers and friends in China to say hello, and send them postcards or holiday gifts.

Ren Zhifeng revealed that after work, he and his wife He Ruiping like to grow vegetables in their backyard, and their favorite vegetable is cucumbers. Because cucumbers were a delicacy that he used to satisfy his hunger when he was a child. In those years of drought, his father Ren Zongchun used the dimes earned from selling cucumbers to pay for his tuition. It was precisely because of those cucumbers that he avoided dropping out of school again and again. danger. After living and working in the United States for many years, Ren Zhifeng has never forgotten that he is a farmer's son and lives a very frugal life.

In 2001, his alma mater, Daqiao Middle School, held its anniversary. Ren Zhifeng had no time to return to school because he was overcoming a difficult problem in nanotechnology research. He sent a congratulatory message to his alma mater and sent him US$2,000. In July 2003, Ren Zhifeng rushed back to his hometown to check on his father's condition. The changes in his hometown were so great, beyond his imagination. However, after visiting teachers and friends, Ren Zhifeng found that the foreign language teachers at his alma mater, Daqiao Middle School, were relatively weak, and the spoken English of students at his alma mater was not satisfactory. In order to further improve the quality of teaching and broaden the horizons of students in his hometown, after returning to the United States, Ren Zhifeng tried his best to persuade some American friends to teach at Daqiao Middle School. On March 19, 2004, four American teachers, led by Ren Zhifeng’s wife He Ruiping, crossed the ocean and came to Daqiao Middle School. In addition to attending 7 classes a day, they also use their evening time to tutor the school teachers in English. Since March, two more groups of friends from the United States and Canada have come to Daqiao Middle School to carry out voluntary teaching activities.

Ren Zhifeng is also concerned about the construction of his hometown.

In July 2004, when he learned that the gravel road in Shiquan Township had not been built for a long time due to insufficient funds, he immediately donated 160,000 yuan to build the road into a 1-kilometer-long cement road. According to Ren Zhifeng's wishes, this road is named "The Heart of an Inch of Grass". What he wants to express is, "Whoever speaks of the heart of an inch of grass will be rewarded with three rays of spring."

Character Profile

< p>Ren Zhifeng, an internationally renowned scientist in the fields of superconductivity and nanotechnology.

Born in August 1963 in a peasant family in southern Sichuan County. In 1980, he was admitted to the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Sichuan Institute of Technology. In 1984, he was admitted to Huazhong Institute of Technology to study for a master's degree. In 1987, he was admitted to the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Engaged in superconducting physics research. Later, he went to New York University in the United States for further study. His research on carbon nanotube technology and nanowater purification technology caused a sensation in the United States.

Interview Notes

The author rushed to Shiquan Township, Daqiao District, Nannan County, and interviewed Ren Zhifeng, the world's top scientist in the field of superconductivity and nanometers.

Ren Zhifeng looks very ordinary. After working hard in the United States for 15 years, his native accent has not changed, and he still maintains the simplicity of the past. It is so simple that no one can tell that he has obtained the status of a tenured professor in the United States. outstanding scientists.

Ren Zhifeng said that his life experience is full of twists and turns. He has endured poverty that is unbearable for ordinary people and overcomes difficulties one after another. The most important thing is that he has never given up on his goal. He has always believed that others can If you can do it, you can do it yourself. In order to motivate himself, he hung the phrase "Never Give Up" in his home and created a cartoon: A bird picked up a frog and intended to swallow it, but the frog pinched the bird's neck with its front feet. , give the opponent a fatal counterattack. Ren Zhifeng compared this to a person's mentality when facing difficulties. He explained that difficulties and challenges exist for everyone, but the probabilities are different. If you succumb to difficulties, the result will be like the frog in the cartoon being eaten by birds. If you do not give in to difficulties, then the frog will also have a chance of victory. Ren Zhifeng told the author that in a society it is impossible for everyone to be a professor and scientist, but if a person determines a goal that suits him, he must do everything possible to work hard towards this goal, otherwise the excitement of life will be lost as time goes by. Not obvious.

When talking about his future goals, Ren Zhifeng revealed that his next goal is to become an academician of the National Academy of Sciences. If possible, he will launch a sprint for the Nobel Prize in Physics.

Ren Zhifeng admitted that his efforts to repay his alma mater and hometown can only be regarded as a small gesture, like a drop in the bucket. He hopes that in this way more people will support education and repay society.

(Source: Sichuan Daily)