Insights | I see fast and impressive progress in China, and many possibilities: Nobel Laureate in Physics

2024-11-12 Ecns.cn Editor：Wu Xinru

By Wu Xinru

(ECNS) -- "The first time I was in China was about 30 years ago. I was impressed, I would say, to see in 30 years what China has accomplished. Every time I see very, very fast progress and very impressive progress in all kinds of fields," said Gérard Albert Mourou, Nobel Laureate in Physics for 2018, in an exclusive interview with China News Network at the Beijing Forum (2024) Emerging Engineering Special Forum.

Mourou is a French scientist and pioneer in the field of electrical engineering and lasers. In 2018, he shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with Arthur Ashkin and Donna Strickland "for groundbreaking inventions in the field of laser physics."

Speaking of China, he was impressed by the helpful, nice, smiling Chinese people. When reviewing his career and Nobel award-winning feelings, he praised his Chinese students, saying they "did a good job."

"In fact, some of the work which was reported in the Nobel prize was done with Chinese students' contributions," he added.

Mourou has paid frequent visits to China in recent years, giving him a glimpse into vitality of China's economic development and the changes in social outlook. He said he sees many opportunities in China.

Throughout the years, he has experienced extensive and in-depth exchanges with many universities and research institutions in China, which he found is very open to collaboration between universities and industry. Basic research and the transfer of technology to the industry are both on top of the agenda, which gives him confidence to believe that his work here will progress smoothly.

On Oct. 12, Mourou officially joined the School of Physics at Peking University as a Chair Professor. He will assist in laying a foundation for the establishment of international high-level new R&D institutions and scientific research in the fields of laser physics, particle physics and nuclear physics, medical physics, and astrophysics, etc, according to the university.