As one of the pathfinders of single-molecule surface-enhanced spectroscopy and plasma element photonics, Xu Hongxing, a professor in the School of Physics and Technology, also a member of Chinese Academy of Sciences, not only has achieved exceptional academic success but also enjoys a good reputation among students. Last year, he won a prize for his devotion to students.
When it comes to teaching methods, Xu Hongxing believes interest is the best teacher. As students in university are usually overwhelmed with knowledge learned in different courses, they may find it challenging to master all of it. To address this situation, Xu spends much time stimulating students’ interest. Sun Jiawei, a doctoral student in Xu’s research group, mentioned that professor Xu often uses real-life examples to demonstrate the value of specific research in his class, which helps them and freshmen alike understand seemingly boring, but meaningful scientific studies.
“Students’ interests are the source of motivation which drives students to explore the unknown world and to acquire knowledge,” Xu said. Whether it’s teaching in class or instructing his research group, Xu tends to create an open and interactive learning environment for his students, enabling them to obtain new knowledge through class discussion and team cooperation. What’s more, Xu strongly supports students to attend academic conferences and invites well-known professors to visit his research group. Freshmen may know little about some cutting-edge theories, but those experiences could widely broaden students’ horizons and cultivate their interest.
Apart from interest, contemporary scientific research also calls for long-term endeavor, which involves constant trial and error. Thus, Xu always tells his students to remain patient and tolerant, as he said: “Guidance from teachers is necessary, but it is even more important to analyze the causes behind failures.” In Xu’s research group, every student regularly reports on his or her recent work and problems, then Xu provides them with an overall perspective on their research and helps them find suitable solutions. In addition, Xu attaches great importance to peer-assistance among students. He believes that helping each other enables students to better deal with failures.
Besides scientific research, Xu Hongxing puts an emphasis on students’ humanistic qualities. In the seminar of his research group, Xu tends to communicate with students in a humorous way, which makes it easier for people to discover their problems or accept his opinion. Xu’s strong code of ethics and professionalism also exert a positive influence on his students. In Sun Jiawei’s eyes, professor Xu is a person with a strong power of execution who spares no effort to help students in need. His noble morality consistently inspires his students.
“The concern and support from professor Xu are not limited to research,” Sun Jiawei recalled. At one time, when Sun was on exchange in a Swedish laboratory alone, professor Xu went to Sweden as a visiting scholar. In order to relieve the loneliness during research abroad, Xu often invited him to have dinner together and participate in some social activities, which gradually assisted him to integrate into local society.
When asked about personal development, Xu Hongxing deems that young people must be confident about themselves and work hard, in line with society’s requirements of talents today. “To better seize the opportunities, we must be aware that time waits for no one. In addition, our youth should dedicate themselves to our beloved country, sharing in its glory and responsibility together,” Xu Hongxing added.
Source: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/9hCIhkaZHi2skNfRGCOpRQ
Rewritten by Zhu Meilin
Edited by Wan Qian, Zou Xiaohan，Sylvia & Hu Sijia
