Only under a favorable cultural environment can the intellectual potentials of talents be truly developed

(Wang Dehua, January 17, 2009)

 

Today, talent competition has almost become one of governments’ strategies. From the earlier time, China has carried out various such plans for talent introduction as “Hundred Talents Programme” of Chinese Academy of Sciences, “Yangtze River Scholars Programme” of State Education Commission as well as a variety of “Scholars” Programme of governments in different places and “Thousand Talents Programme” introduced by new countries etc. undoubtedly, governments at all levels have realized the importance of talents, which is a kind of improvement. Only when the whole society respects knowledge can the society develop healthily.

 

Truly playing the role of introduced talents requires the very environment where they can function. Cultural environment is very significant. No matter what talents cannot develop potentials without a good cultural environment, and finally only end in failure. Some scholars have put forward that as a matter of fact, what China is short of are not talents but the soil for talent’s growth. The growth of talents demands a proper environment and soil. 

 

Biologists tell us, to survive, any living things must adapt to the environment where they live. Human beings possess organism and sociality and nature also conforms to the law of biology. Overseas talents have had their accustomed environment aboard which enable them to play their intellectual potentials and gain achievements. Once introducing them, we should support them with an environment suitable for their growth. This environment is better not to change more for the reason that if the environment is completely changed, people of strong adaptive capacity may survive, while people of weak adaptive capacity must be eliminated. 

 

There are also several instances of survival. One is struggle, that is, to survive relying on fight again environment. It mainly exerts the own ability (biologically called the alteration of physiological function), and depends on strengthening the capacity of environmental adaptation. The other one is compromise and to adopt the strategy named keeping out of troubles. The former primarily concerns with the enhancement of inner power, while the latter mainly focus on the change of behavioristics, namely acting in accordance with circumstances. In the event of the former, it is the luck for nation in that a good result must be achieved after the dispersal of such a kind of seeds. On the contrary, the latter is the sadness for nation, because it will become the principal maker of unhealthy culture. Everybody knows that right is the resource. As such introduced talents, they either master the right by themselves or give up to right, otherwise without resource, their career cannot be developed. In the trade of scientific research, especially the experimental science, the only road is to shut down if there are no funds. Various phenomena appearing in Chinese academic circle can indeed state problems, such as many kinds of “public relations” and behaviors of “promotion through money”, even the generation of some rewards, key discipline and degree program. Whether or not some parties need to flatter everywhere? The forge in teaching evaluation of high schools has been an open secret, why? The answer is definite that it is caused by the social environment. 

 

Then what kind of cultural environment can be the appropriate one for talents to play their functions? The answer is simple that any cultural environment conductive to the potential development of talents is favorable environment. Such factors as working condition, academic environment, academic atmosphere and living condition etc should all suit the development of talents. Hardly image that even introduced talents provided with million annual salaries or ten million funds, what level their working results are under the environment where there are no cultural and academic atmosphere as well as the working and living condition are unsatisfied. In addition, enable him to work as a scientist what he was; give him the due rights if he was a leader. Whether talents for scientific research hold administrative position or not, the condition and resource for their scientific research ought not to be affected. Only in this way can the actual role of talents be developed.

 

Establishing satisfactory and harmonious cultural environment, building up and promoting healthy, diligent and professionally devoted academic environment are today’s important aspects. To advocate pragmatism and avoid exaggeration, cultural construction has a great deal to do with the success or failure of the cause, so it should be attached importance to.

  

(Wang Dehua, January 17, 2009)

 

This article was published in Scientific Daily on January 23, 2009: