Research Proposal Led by Academician Chen Xiaohong Passes On-site Investigation in Application for Fund of Basic Science Center Programs under National Natural Science Foundation of China

2020-09-14

On September 12, an expert panel led by Hou Zengqian, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Deputy Director of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC),carried out a site investigation on the research proposal of “Theory and Application of Resource and Environmental Management in the Digital Economy Era”. This proposalled by Chen Xiaohong, President of Hunan University of Technology and Business (HUTB), Honorary Dean of the Business School of Central South University (CSU), and an academician oftheChinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), was submitted to the NSFC for the fund of the Basic Science Center programs. The inspection meeting was attended by Zhu Zhongming, Vice Governor of the People’s Government of Hunan Province, Tian Hongqi, President of CSU and an academician of CAE, as well as the relevant department heads of the People’s Government of Hunan Province, CSU, and HUTB, the team members of the proposal, and the leaders of supporting institutions (collaborators). Yang Liexun and Liu Zuoyi, Deputy Directors of the Department of Management Science of the NSFC, presided over the feedback meeting and inspection meeting, respectively.

Academician Tian Hongqi mainly introduced CSU’s and the program team’s advantages in resource and environmental management in the digital economy. She expressed that this on-site investigation serves as a major opportunity to advance the construction of the Basic Science Center, and she expected experts to put forward more valuable opinions. According to Ms.Tian,CSU will keep serving national strategies and fully promote the program with strengthened support and collaboration. CSU will achieve a batch of world-leading creative results and develop smart clusters for the resource and environmental industry. By doing so, CSU aims to ensure the realization of all strategic goals in the construction of the Basic Science Center and to make better contributions to China’s ecological progress and evolution into a technological power.

Academician Hou Zengqian explained the NSFC’s reform and development as well as the positioning and implementation principles of the NSFC’s Basic Science Center. He pointed out that the NSFC has four missions: supporting basic scientific research, cultivating outstanding talents, advancing international cooperation, and driving economic and social development. In recent years, the NSFC has been focusing on reforms to promote development and to cope with changes, and has taken basic scientificresearchesas its overall positioning and adhered to the policy of “walking on two legs”as directed by General Secretary Xi Jiping. Mr.Hou stressed that the Basic Science Center is positioned as a“leading cluster for academic researches, talents, and think tanks”, and followsthe implementation principles of “original research, focuson cutting edge, interdisciplinary integration, scientific evaluation, stable support, and dynamic adjustment”. He hoped that the Basic Science Center programscan bring new improvements in management science and laws, large progress in discovering new knowledge, solutions toproblems restricting economic and social development and especially those major resource and environmental issues, and a batch of high-level talents at the same time.

Vice Governor Zhu Zhongming pointed out that the Basic Science Center programs,with high standards and profound influence,play an important role in advancing China’s innovation-driven strategy and stimulating China’s technological originality and potential for cutting-edge breakthroughs. The People's Government of Hunan Province highly values and supports the application for fund of the Basic Science Center programs, with high anticipation for success. Such anticipation is mainly based on the favorable conditions in timing, geographical location and talents. In terms of timing, in the new era, this programcan better utilize the new-generation information technology to enable more intelligent, accurate, efficient and securer resource development and utilization as well as environmental protection; in terms of geographical location, this programcan rely on the good infrastructure of the Yuelu Mountain National University Science and Technology Town, Malanshan Video Creation IndustryPark, and the National Innovation Leading Zone, Industrial Cluster Zone and Application Pilot Zone for Digital Economy under rapid construction; in terms of talents, Academician Chen Xiaohong, leader of the program, has been studying the construction of an “energy-conservation and environment-friendly society”, the efficient and green resource development and utilization, ecological environmental protection and other fields for nearly 30 years; in recent years, she has conducted cutting-edge researches featuring “intelligence + ecosystem” by closely integrating Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, and blockchain, smart city construction and other new business types, modes, technologies, and fields in the digital economy. Vice Governor Zhu hoped that the program team can vigorously gather top talents and strengthen collaboration and basic theories to achieve leading-edge breakthroughs. He also hoped that the program team can respond more actively to major national demands, provide high-level theoretical and technological support for the provincial and even the national ecological progress, and better facilitate Hunan’s implementingthe strategy of “Innovation-Oriented Development, Rise viaOpening up” and building itselfinto a strong ecological province.

Zhou Kechao, Vice President of CSU, briefly introduced the university’s overall situation. Yang Liexun, Deputy Director of the Department of Management Science of the NSFC, explained the contents, form and requirements of the investigation.

As the leader of the program, Academician Chen Xiaohong, elaborated on the “Theory and Application of Resource and Environmental Management in the Digital Economy Era” from the five aspects:“research background and significance”, “key scientific issues as well as construction goals of basic science centers”, “research contents, technical routes and innovation points”, “research team and advantages”, and “implementation plan for basic science centers”. She expressed that her team will follow General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important thoughts of “Three Orientations” regarding scientific and technological innovation, stick to the mission of the Basic Science Center, and focus on the NSFC’s goal of “Three Leading Centers”. She added that her team will work hard to promote the formation of “original scientific theories”, “ground-breaking technological methods”, “national decision-making platforms,” “international top think tanks,” “new interdisciplines,” and “world-class talent teams” and to develop domestically and internationally leading intelligent resource and environmental management theories and method systems. By doing so, her team hopes to provide a solid scientific foundation for China’s ecological progress and environmental greening, set a typical example for China's safe, green and high-quality development, and contribute China’s wisdom to the realization of global sustainable development under the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, Ms.Chen noted.

After carefully hearing the report on the program, the expert panel held an in-depth discussion with the programteam and put forward constructive opinions on summarizing key scientific issues and highlighting interdisciplinary integration. Subsequently, the expert panel interviewed the key members of the program team and managers of the supporting institutions and collaborators on current status of the team, research basics, scientific research conditions and interdisciplinary integration, as well as specific implementation by supporting institutions. Furthermore, the expert panel visited the CSU’s Engineering Research Center for Nonferrous Metallurgical Automation of Ministry of Education as well as HUTB’s laboratories in Economic Management Complex and Technology Building, research center, etc.

After thorough discussion, the expert panel unanimously suggested initiating this program, basedon their conclusion that this programwas oriented toward the cutting edge of world science and technology as well as the major national strategic needs and boasted innovative contents, solid implementation foundations, high feasibility, and good scientific research conditions and hardware and software environments.

It is learned thatthe Basic Science Center programspiloted in 2016 arethe NSFC's highest-level science fundprograms. They aim to help China achieve a batch of internationally leading original results by concentrating on and integrating superior domestic scientific research resources, targeting the cutting edge of international science, and giving full play to the advantages and characteristics of the science fund system. Ultimately, this fund will facilitate China’s taking preemption in the international scientific development and becoming a leader with important international influences in several academic fields. The programis led by Academician Chen Xiaohongandjointly submitted by Central South University, the Institute of Mineral Resources of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, and Shanghai Jiaotong University, and involvessuch universities and research institutes as HUTB, Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, and China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research. The proposal is jointly submitted by Academician Liu He, Professor Wang Anjian, Professor Geng Yong, etc.It has passed the on-site investigation and is expected to become Hunan’s first programfunded by the Basic Science Center under the NSFC. (Written by Zhang Gaoyang and Photo by Chen Luming)