Bulletin Spring‧Summer 2001

CITATION statesman, whose new e-government system has 300 or so public services online. Already Singapore's broadband access reaches 99 per cent of homes, much more than is so in the United States and other developed countries. Like a certain Roman two thousand years ago, he can claim with great satisfaction, ‘I am a citizen of no mean city.’ Mr. Vice-Chancellor, a surprisingly young Prime Minister who has become one of the great statesmen of the last century in any country, and a brilliant politician who has become a valued adviser o f many governments besides that of Singapore — i n short, a man who has a firm belief in peace, order, and good government now stands before us in academic dress. In honouring him, we honour a man of modem vision, one who is pushing high technology and quality education to secure the future of his people, young and old alike: I proudly present to you the Senior Minister of Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, for the degree o f Doctor o f Laws, honoris causa. Chen Jia'er Prof. Chen Jia'er is the president of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and was formerly the president L of Peking University. An internationally famous scientist and educator, Chen Jia'er was bom in 1934 in Shanghai, the only child in a family of intellectuals. His father Chen Bochui was a famous translato r and author o f children's literature; hi s mother Wu Hongzhi taught the piano. Brought up in a loving family, educated by precepts and by example, and surrounded by books and learning, Chen Jia'er grew in wisdom and character. The love of science and a respect for humane letters were implanted early in his young mind. From these seeds the distinguished career as a teacher and as a scientist was to blossom. After the Second World War, Chen Jia'er entered Weiyu Secondary School in Shanghai. The school was blessed wit h excellent teachers, and boasted a very high standard of language education. At the age of only 13, Jia'er in his spare time translated from English the novel The Red Man in the Forest; the translation appeared in Huamei Wan Bao, showing already his extraordinary linguistic abilities. Thereafter, guided by his teachers of mathematics and science and encouraged by senior students in the school, Che n Jia'er's interest shifted from literature and translation to science, and from those days onwards his mind was set on a career in scientific research. In 1950, Chen Jia'er entered Dalian University; in 1952, with the reorganization of universities in China, he was transferred to Jilin University, where he majored in physics. He was mentored by many distinguished professors. Among them Prof. Wang Daheng was the most rigorous in his expectations of young Chen Jia'er, who therefore acquired a solid foundation in the knowledge and skills needed for experimental studies. Prof. Zhu Guangya and Prof. Wu Shishu respectively taught atomic physics and quantum mechanics, instilling in Jia'er a deep interest in modem physics. Upon graduation, Chen Jia'er stayed in Jilin University as a teaching assistant. In 1955, when Chinese University Bulletin Spring • Summer 2001 40