Tsinghua is looking for "mathematics genius"
◎Reporter Zhang Galun
Tsinghua University is trying to create a "special zone for training top talents without any frame."
With the approval of the Ministry of Education, Tsinghua University recently launched the "Yu Chengtong Leading Talents Training Program in Mathematics", which recruits hundreds of outstanding middle school students from all over the world every year to cultivate leading talents in future mathematics and related fields.
Tsinghua University will establish a college to train them from undergraduate to doctoral level.
If successful, domestic students can be admitted to Tsinghua University without taking the college entrance examination.
It is worth mentioning that particularly outstanding junior students can also apply.
Chen Zhiwen, secretary general of the Talent Branch of the China Education Development Strategy Society and member of the expert group of the National Education Examination Steering Committee, said that targeting the national strategic talent needs is the most fundamental motivation for this project.
It tries to break through in basic disciplines, especially basic mathematics in basic disciplines.
The famous mathematician Qiu Chengtong believes that mathematics is an "premature" subject.
He said that young children who are motivated and curious, taught by mathematics masters in a good environment, will grow up quickly.
Children who have no stereotypes and preconceived notions, no distracting thoughts and worries, will be more brave to explore.
The selection age can be lowered to junior high school, which is based on the consideration of the law of training mathematics talents.
Chen Zhiwen also saw that when a genius boy started from a doll, there is another layer of practical significance in China.
He told the reporter of Science and Technology Daily that with the overall improvement of education levels, high school education and university education have gradually become popularized, the selection function of the high school and college entrance examination is becoming weaker, the difficulty of entrance examinations at various stages is relatively reduced, and the level of testing is becoming more and more.
"The competition for scores in the high school entrance examination is very fierce. Especially in the high school entrance examination, a large number of outstanding students often have to repeat the questions for a competitive advantage of 1 to 2 points, and fight for a year, just to get back the points they should get , Get the final victory." If the geniuses fall into ineffective repetitive training, they will wipe out their innocence in mathematics and physics.
"The project of Tsinghua University is directly connected to junior high school, which to a certain extent opens a way for the systematic selection and training of top-notch talents." Chen Zhiwen commented.
Chen Zhiwen also talked with Zhu Huawei, the principal of Shenzhen Middle School and an expert in middle school mathematics education.
The other party said that Qiu Chengtong's mathematics leader plans to look for genius teenagers outside of the conventional selection methods, but how do genius teenagers come?
Zhu Huawei said that at an earlier stage, can we open a hole for some children with academic expertise to open up a special growth channel, so that the training of talented young people can really start from the baby.
Otherwise, various projects at the university level will be in danger of becoming a "wood without roots".
According to reports, in order to select talents, Tsinghua University has designed a complex and professional selection process and will set up a special admissions review expert committee headed by Mr. Qiu Chengtong.
Qiu Chengtong said that although the college entrance examination is not required, the difficulty of the exam is actually much more difficult than that of the college entrance examination.
Their requirements for students are: to be curious, to be truly interested in mathematics; to be able to sit down and endure hardships.
Chen Zhiwen said that this leading talent training plan is also of great value in exploring how first-class universities can make good use of the autonomy of universities. On the basis of fairness and justice, not only scores, but also comprehensive evaluation of top talents.
“However, the cultivation of talented young people is a worldwide problem. Knowledge learning can be compressed, but mental growth cannot be compressed.” Chen Zhiwen said, “I hope Tsinghua will strengthen the training of talents for students on the basis of absorbing some past experience in training talents in junior colleges. Comprehensive guidance and training of students, including psychological and mental growth.” In this regard, Tsinghua University also stated that it will attach importance to the overall development of students’ moral, intellectual, physical, and artistic.
For junior students, they will also examine their adaptability to university study and life at the preparatory stage.
(Science and Technology Daily, Beijing, January 11)