Bulletin Spring‧Summer 1995

A highly productive period followed as the young scientist launched himself into research, teaching and university administration. Also in 1956, he won the third prize in the National Natural Science Award and in the 20 or so years that followed, led the most authoritative seminars on molecular structure and physical polymer chemistry. His work was groundbreaking and his enthusiasm in sharing his research with his students legendary. Many of China's leading research chemists today have studied with Prof. Tang and benefitted from the experience. If it might be said of masters that by their students you shall know them, then Prof. Tang must be regarded as one of the greatest in his field. In 1978, Prof. Tang Auchin became president of Jilin University and a host of honours followed. He won the first prize of the National Natural Science Award twice, in 1982 and 1987, first for his work on ligand field theory and then again for his work on molecular orbital graph theory. He is the first and only chemist to have won the first prize twice since the founding of the People's Republic of China. His book on quantum chemistry also won the first prize for National Outstanding Scientific Monographs in 1982. He was elected to the Presidium of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1981 and was awarded the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws by Windsor University in Canada in 1986. Mr. Chancellor, I could go on with Prof. Tang's achievements and accomplishments which would run to pages and pages. He has published eight books and some 250 articles in scientific journals, for instance. But, to do so is to give but a very inadequate account of this man's enormous contribution to the world of science in general and to the advancement of chemistry in China in particular. In the last 45 years, scientific research in China has made giant strides, but because the first tentative steps were taken from a low base, there is as yet a gap between China's achievements and international standards of excellence in some areas of scientific research. Theoretical chemistry, however, is not one of them, thanks largely to Prof. Tang Auchin. His work on ligand field theory and symmetry conservation of molecular orbitals is central to the understanding of chemistry and chemical processes. His major contribution has been to bring together abody of theories and let them provide acontext for each other. In the process of doing so, he has not only afforded the world a solid foundation of the unity in bonding theories but also enabled scientists to extrapolate successfully, resulting in some very useful predictions. Mr. Chancellor, I am reliably informed that the exquisite Yixing teaware is the happy result of covalent bonding between and among the molecular components which make up the clay and the glazes. We are honouring today a native of Yixing who, while he has played no part in the making of these teaware, has unlocked the mystery surrounding the chemical process that makes that kind of bonding possible. In honouring Prof. Tang Auchin, we are giving recognition not only to his work as China's leading theoretical chemist and educator, but also to the high esteem in which he is held as evidenced by his election to the chairmanship of China's National Natural Science Foundation and the Science Award Committee. As head of agencies which deal with the allocation of research funds and national awards, he has to be recognized not only as a scholar of the first water but also as a person of unimpeachable integrity, and this is a fitting description of Prof. Tang. With these words, Mr. Chancellor, I present Prof. Tang Auchin, theoretical chemist, lifetime educationist and renowned author, for the award of the degree of Doctor of Science, honoris causa, in absentia. 48th Congregation 5