In early 2009, Tan Kah Kee Science Awards Foundation (TSAF) has launched an activity of Public Lectures by Tan Kah Kee Science Awards Winners, in order to inspire young scientists and engineers to make original scientific achievements and popularize scientific knowledge to citizens. Up to now, three Public Lectures have been held in Beijing and four winners have been invited to make presentations. We plan to extend the Lecture place to other cities of the country, where universities and research institutes are relatively concentrated.
The first Lecture was held in Lecture Hall of National Science Library of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) on April 18, 2009, and Prof. An Zhisheng, geological scientist, Academician of CAS and winner of Tan Kah Kee Awards in Geological Sciences (2008), and Prof. Rao Zihe, biological physician, Academician of CAS and winner of Tan Kah Kee Award in Life Sciences (2006) were invited to give lectures on "Loess and Monsoon" and "Protein Structure of SARS and Bird Flu Virus" respectively. Prof. An Zhisheng revealed in his lecture China's loess is formed by monsoon by describing loess' definition, distribution and characteristics, and explained the influences of China's location in East Asian Monsoon Zone over the environment such as climate change and uplift of plateau. Prof. Rao Zihe demonstrated in his report recent scientific research on protein structure with three-dimension diagrams and introduced China's latest progress in research over determination and analysis on protein structure of pathogen of major contagious diseases that threat the health of Chinese people, such as SARS, bird flu, AIDS, hepatitis b, and hand-foot-and-mouth disease.
The second Lecture was held in headquarter mansion of Bank of China on November 11, 2009, in which Prof. Zhao Zhongxian, physicist, academician of CAS and winner of first Tan Kah Kee Award in Physical Sciences was invited to give a lecture named "Scientific and Technological Progress, Scientific and Technological Innovation - Science and Technology Pave the Way for Scientific Development". Mr. Zhao gave detailed report on issues such as the influence of scientific and technological progress on social and economic development, technological innovation and environment, personnel training, how people should carry forward the spirit of atomic and hydrogen bombs and man-made satellite, how people should rely on their own strength and make innovation independently, and how scientific and technological advancement paves the way for scientific development.
The third Lecture was held in Yangguang Hall, Yingjie Exchange Center of Peking University on April 16, 2010, in which Prof. Fan Haifu, crystallologist, Academician of CAS and winner of Tan Kah Kee Award in Mathematic and Physical Sciences (2006) was invited to give a lecture named "On the Way - My Research Experience and Perception". Prof. Fan explained in his lecture the definition, development and applied fields of crystal diffraction, the cause, expression, and solution of phase indeterminacy in crystal diffraction analysis, and its important application in life sciences.
