Henan University: "Adversity" creates "first-class discipline"

"Adversity" creates "first-class discipline"

——Enlightenment from the Construction of Biology Department of Henan University

"Adversity" creates "first-class discipline" "Adversity" creates "first-class discipline"——Inspiration from the construction of Biology Department in Henan University—— Inspiration from the construction of Biology Department in Henan University ——Inspiration from the construction of Biology Department in Henan University

Starting from nothing, a blank and arduous, it has grown into a "double first-class" construction discipline with two national key laboratories
.

A local university in the Midwest has written an amazing story in 30 years

In the autumn of 2017, the Ministry of Education announced the list of "double first-class" construction universities and construction disciplines, and Henan University and Biology were on the list
.

A century-old prestigious school with a strong liberal arts, how can a young "dark horse" in the subject? At that time, the biology of this school resumed undergraduate enrollment, exactly 30 years

Four years later, the cycle construction task was successfully completed, a high-end innovation team was gathered, a group of high-level talents were tempered, and a scientific and technological innovation platform led the world.
The Biology Department of Henan University responded to the past with outstanding results.
Questioned
.

A discipline growth path of hard work, independent innovation, and characteristic development has become more clear and moving

Blue wisps on the road, breaking out of the cocoon

Blue wisps on the road, breaking out of the cocoon

In 1987, Henan University decided to rebuild the Department of Biology.
It is not an exaggeration to describe the situation at that time as poor and white
.

Lack of funds, the teachers took up a ruler and started designing with calculators in their pockets to purchase raw materials; without a space, they lived in the dormitory and went into the basement to build a laboratory; without a team, the founders Fu Weixia, Cai Xingyuan and Zhang Jutai went to Peking University and visited South.
Fudan University and Lanzhou westward, visited colleges and universities across the country, asked teachers and classmates, and sincerely invited alumni and fellow villagers to join
.

Inspired by them, a group of young talents with dreams gathered in Kaifeng and took root in the Central Plains, and the seeds of dreams took root from this

In just a few years, several young scholars in the team have successively won the National Natural Science Foundation of China and received financial support
.

For the biology seedlings just emerging from the ground, it is like a long drought and rainy days

The road to growth is not easy
.

Biology "withdrew from the college entrance examination", the source of enrollment was insufficient, the way out for graduates was narrow, some teachers' thoughts began to waver, and their development confidence was insufficient.

However, more teachers chose to stick to it.
A group of scholars have withstood the test of the temptation of generous treatment.
They devote themselves to research and study with peace of mind, and carefully take care of the biology department to thrive.
The harvest comes one after another: The biology department of Henan University was approved as the first in 1996.
A master's degree, won the Henan Provincial Key Laboratory in 1997, and in 1998 plant biology entered the list of Henan Province's key disciplines
.

"The soft mulberries on the Moshang have broken buds, and the silkworm species in the east have already grown
.

" Xin Qiji wrote this vibrant phrase more than 800 years ago, which was quoted many times by Professor Song Chunpeng, who was the leader of the biology department at the time and is now the president of Henan University.

And this young shoot has also received more and more attention from international scholars
.

In 2003, Professor Chen Xiaozhang , an internationally renowned physiologist and the Chinese University of Hong Kong , was invited to visit Henan University.

Hongkong

Adversity and advance to the national team

Adversity and advance to the national team

Discipline development is changing with each passing day, and there are strong players at home and abroad.
Why can a university that started late, has little investment, and is located in a remote town?

The answer given by Henan University's biology is "tracking the frontiers, exploring intersections, and building new disciplines with characteristics", and finally chose "plant stress biology" as the main direction, and this has become a magic weapon for the biology department of Heda
.

What is plant adversity? Song Chunpeng explained that plants grow under bad external environmental conditions, such as drought, low temperature, high temperature, salinity, sandstorm, pests and other bad external environmental conditions
.
"My personal research focuses on drought.
In normal years, about 300 million acres of land in China are affected by drought and semi-arid conditions; in years with little rainfall, about 700 million acres will be affected.
We just have to find out in the laboratory.
Those plant regulatory molecules that resist drought can be applied to plants to enable them to grow better in unfavorable environments
.
"

For biology, the laboratory is the "heart" that supports the development of the discipline
.
The Department of Biology of Henan University adheres to "academic thinking", forges "characteristic technology", and focuses on "national demand".
Through technological advantages, it overcomes the disadvantages of funds and equipment and realizes the leading position in laboratory construction
.

In 1991, the Plant Physiology and Biochemistry Laboratory, which started with "one subject, two teachers, three houses", has grown into a key laboratory of the Ministry of Education in 2005
.
But at this time, they already have a higher goal
.

At the beginning of the 21st century, among the many universities in Henan Province, there was not a single state key laboratory.
This has become the "pain" of the children of the Central Plains and the greatest "hope" of thousands of university scholars
.

Climb high and look into the distance, break zero, break zero! Riveting a bit of strength, he opened his vision and walked out decisively
.
The Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology of Henan University and the Cotton Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Anyang) have joined forces to jointly build a national laboratory
.

Academy of Sciences

In 2011, the National Laboratory of Cotton Biology was approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology; in 2014, the laboratory successfully passed the national acceptance
.
Since then, for the first time, a university in Henan Province has a national key laboratory for a subject!

After being selected as the "Double First Class", the Biology Department of Henan University has not stopped in laboratory construction
.
In November 2019, the State Key Laboratory of Crop Adversity Adaptation and Improvement was approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology
.
Different from the National Laboratory of Cotton Biology, the laboratory was established entirely on the strength of Henan University's own scientific research
.
A subject, with two national key laboratories at the same time, is rare in universities across the country
.

"In my opinion, we should not be greedy and seek completeness, aiming at the direction of plant adversity, and continue to exert our efforts and work for a long time.
We have achieved the characteristic development of'small but fine and small and beautiful'
.
This is the rapid development of the biology department of Henan University.
The key
.
" said An Guoyong, who is also the executive deputy director of two state key laboratories
.

Recruiting famous teachers, standing proudly on the international frontier

Recruiting famous teachers, standing proudly on the international frontier

Living in underdeveloped areas and non-central cities, how can we keep up with the forefront of the world in discipline construction, student training, and scientific research, without falling behind or falling behind? The answer given by the Biology Department of Henan University is "open the door to run a school", creating a collaboration effect of 1+1>2
.

From the beginning of the restoration and reconstruction of the Department of Biology, opening schools has been a criterion
.
Before and after the 1990s, old school friends, former vice president of Fudan University Wangming Qi, Hao Shui Academy of Sciences , Yang Xiong in the Academy of Sciences , Zhu Yan as academician , Mr.
Wang Qinnan large number of masters to give lectures sowing, portrait guidance
.
Since 1997, Academician Shanlun has been hired as "part-time professor", "double-appointed academician " and "honorary dean " by Henan University , and has devoted great efforts to the discipline construction and talent training of the Department of Biology
.

Academician Academician Academician Academician Academician Dean

Both external introduction and internal training
.
"Insect expert" Zhou Shutang came full-time.
Five experts from the scientific research team led by the American Academy of Sciences Zhou Zhi were hired as "Distinguished Talents" Distinguished Professors, Yangtze River Scholars, "National Outstanding Youth" Wang Xuelu, "National Outstanding Youth" Zhang Lixin, Invasive Ecology Expert Ding Jianqing and a group of more than 30 heavyweight experts and scholars rushed to the ancient city of Kaifeng from all directions
.

Distinguished Academician of the Academy of Sciences

Scientists Miao Yuchen and Shi Bingyang cultivated by Henan University have emerged.
Alumni Wang Ertao, Zhao Yaofeng, Li Yunhai and other young scholars have achieved outstanding results.
Young scholars born in the 1990s, Zhang Qian and Xing Jingjing, have grown rapidly.
.
.

With the gathering of masters, students benefit the most
.
From 2012, the Henan University School of Life Sciences, China Kexue Yuan Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences Biological Sciences jointly implemented "elite program" Accelerated Degree Biological Sciences relying on professional enrollment
.
A group of academicians , "National Outstanding Youth" and "Excellent Youth" organize regular lectures at Henan University, so that young students can receive lectures from "top-matched experts" from the undergraduate level
.

Academician of the Academy of Sciences

Exploring hard all the way, advancing all the way
.
More than 30 years have passed.
Today, the Biology Department of Henan University has formed a discipline development system that combines science, engineering and agriculture, a complete talent training system for undergraduates, masters, and doctors, and a comprehensive integration of basic research, applied basic research, technology research and development, and industrial development.
The scientific research and innovation platform system has become an important supporting force serving the national strategy and regional economic development
.

"Standing on a new historical starting point, we will continue to keep in mind the school motto of'Mingde Xinmin, Stop at Perfection', carry forward the spirit of'Continuous Self-improvement and Perseverance', build first-class disciplines, cultivate first-class students, and develop first-class results for China's higher education The development provides more experience
.
” Song Chunpeng said
.

(Our reporter Wang Sheng Xi Shangjie Our correspondent Liu Junqi)