Nobel Laureate Professor Tim Hunt Visits Nanchang University for Academic Exchange

From February 24 to 28, Nanchang University, in collaboration with the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Science and Technology, hosted the "Hai Zhi Hui Gan Po - Nobel Prize Winner's Visit to Jiangxi" event, inviting Nobel laureate Professor Tim Hunt for an academic exchange visit.

On the morning of February 26, a welcome meeting for Professor Tim Hunt was held in the multifunctional conference room on the fifth floor. Ms. Chen Weirong, Deputy Director of the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Science and Technology and Director of the Jiangxi Provincial Foreign Experts Bureau, Mr. Luo Sihai, Secretary of the Party Committee of Nanchang University, Mr. Chen Yeguang, President of the University and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Vice President NieShaoping attended the meeting.

Secretary of the Party Committee Luo Sihai presided over the welcome meeting, extending a warm welcome to Professor Tim Hunt's visit. He highly praised Professor Tim Hunt's research achievements and scientific spirit, expressing that Professor Tim Hunt's visit to the university for academic exchange and idea sharing would contribute to Nanchang University's continuous advancement in academic innovation and the enhancement of talent cultivation quality. He expressed the hope for collaboration with Professor Tim Hunt to contribute wisdom and strength to promoting mutual understanding in international academic exchanges and building a community with a shared future for humanity.

President Chen Yeguang, also an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, delivered a welcome speech and introduced the basic situation of Nanchang University. He emphasized the university's commitment to international education and research cooperation, highlighting the successful collaboration with Queen Mary University of London in talent cultivation. President Chen expressed the hope that the appointment of Professor Tim Hunt as an honorary professor at Nanchang University would further propel the university's construction and development.

Deputy Director of the Jiangxi Provincial Department of Science and Technology and Director of the Jiangxi Provincial Foreign Experts Bureau, Chen Weirong, warmly welcomed Professor Tim Hunt's visit to Jiangxi. She introduced the natural environment, cultural heritage, and development prospects of Jiangxi Province, expressing the desire for Professor Tim Hunt to visit Jiangxi frequently, actively recommend talents, and contribute to the exchange of talents and technological innovation in the province.

In his speech, Professor Tim Hunt shared his views on education and expressed his dedication to contributing to higher education in Jiangxi Province and Nanchang University.

On the afternoon of February 26, Nanchang University held the appointment ceremony for Honorary Professor Tim Hunt in the music hall. NieShaoping presided over the ceremony and introduced the basic background of Professor Tim Hunt. Chen Yeguang presented the honorary professor appointment letter to Professor Tim Hunt, welcoming him to become a part of Nanchang University. Flowers were presented to Professor Tim Hunt, and he was adorned with the university emblem. It is noted that Professor Tim Hunt is the first honorary professor appointed externally by Nanchang University.

In the afternoon of February 26, Professor Tim Hunt was invited as a guest speaker for the 8th session of the "Qianhu Lecture." His academic presentation, titled "Lessons from a Life in Science: Stumbling on the Secret of Cell Division," provided insights into his journey of interest in biological sciences. Professor Tim Hunt combined his own research experiences with the contributions of scholars in related fields, offering valuable advice for scientific exploration. He emphasized that the mission of science is to discover problems, motivating the younger generation to forge ahead in research, explore scientific mysteries, and seek the truth. During the interactive Q&A session, enthusiastic questions from the audience, including faculty and students, were warmly addressed by Professor Tim Hunt, creating a lively atmosphere.

On the morning of February 28, Professor Tim Hunt also delivered an inspirational lecture for representatives of 500 undergraduate students across the university. Titled "How to Succeed in Science," he shared key elements for successful scientific discoveries based on his own research experiences, emphasizing the pursuit of truth, a spirit of dedication, innovative thinking, and scientific knowledge. Professor Tim Hunt encouraged young students to approach science with enthusiasm, maintain a thirst for knowledge and exploratory spirit, and to be grounded, work hard, innovate, and fearlessly explore new knowledge and scientific problems. After the lecture, Professor Tim Hunt interacted with the students, earnestly answering their questions. Attendees expressed profound gratitude, stating that they gained significant insights from the lecture and would strive to follow Professor Tim Hunt's example, exploring the unknown and embracing future scientific challenges. The inspirational lecture was hosted by Wang Xinyue, a 2019 undergraduate student from Queen Mary University, with an active atmosphere. Professor Hunt was impressed by the students' English proficiency and depth of thoughts, highly praising the quality of undergraduate education at Nanchang University.

During his visit, Professor Tim Hunt also toured Nanchang University's History Museum, Queen Mary College, Clinical Skills Laboratory, and Anatomy Teaching Laboratory, gaining in-depth knowledge about the university's history, culture, medical education, and technological innovation.

Professor Tim Hunt, a Nobel laureate in Physiology or Medicine, a Fellow of the Royal Society, a Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences, and a Foreign Member of the National Academy of Sciences, engaged in cell cycle regulation research. Recognized for discovering key regulatory factors in the cell cycle, he shared the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Lee Hartwell and Paul Nurse. Professor Tim Hunt served as the Chief Scientist at the Clare Hall Laboratory of the UK Cancer Research Center from 1991 to 2011, and since 2011, he has been an Honorary Scientist at the Francis Crick Institute in London. Additionally, from 2016 to 2022, he held the position of Visiting Scientist at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology.

Editor：Tu Jinfeng

Executive Editor:  Xu Hang