Welcome, Big Shot
Monday morning, Shen Qi Mathematical and Physical Research Center.
Shen Qi and all the center's staff gathered in the conference room.
"Ladies and gentlemen, after several years of adjustment, the center's operational system has gradually matured. Currently, all conditions are nearing perfection. Starting this year, we will go all out to expand and strengthen our operations, creating a business we will not regret."
"In the field of mathematics, we have already initiated a project to Mathematical Grand Unification, which I am personally leading, with Li Zhenqiang serving as the Deputy Leader of the project team."
"For the NS Equation Project, I will serve as the overall coordinator, Zhou Yu'an as the First Deputy Leader, Xiao Junlong as the Second Deputy Leader. The two Deputy Leader will be responsible for the specific implementation of the work."
"In the research and development of Condensed Matter Physics materials, I will still be the leader of the FASTER Project Team, Tang Yuan Executive Deputy Leader, Yang Ding Tian will serve as the Chief Experimentalist."
"For Basic Physics Theoretical Research, no project team has been established yet. Sha Dongdong will conduct preliminary research, perform feasibility studies on valuable topics, and explore the feasibility of project approval."
"In addition, there have been minor adjustments to the center's organizational structure, with the establishment of a new Biochemical Research Group, which reports directly to the center director. I will temporarily serve as the group leader. Please have Yan Jun and Tu Weiguo proceed with the relevant work as planned."
At the all-staff meeting, Shen Qi briefly outlined the key tasks for the near future.
Under Shen Qi's command and coordination, the center simultaneously advanced several key projects.
Shen Qi was the leader of each project, but he had different focuses and established research titles for his assistants.
In Shen Qi's system, the order of seniority is: Executive Deputy Leader> First Deputy Leader> Deputy Leader> Second Deputy Leader = Chief Experimentalist> Ordinary Group Member.
Starting from the level of Second Deputy Leader and Chief Experimentalist, authority and responsibility gradually increase.
At the level of Executive Deputy Leader, their authority and responsibilities are second only to the leader.
The division is very detailed, and at first glance it seems to be a strict hierarchy, but in reality it all follows the project. When the project ends, the project team disbands, and everyone goes back to their original positions.
Tang Yuan, Zhou Yu'an, Li Zhenqiang, and other Deputy Leader are both motivated and under pressure. Shen Qi gives them certain research authority, but at the same time, the Deputy Leader also have to bear corresponding research responsibilities. If the project is not done well, Boss Shen will hold them accountable.
"Now, let's welcome a new partner." Shen Qi walked to the conference room door and opened it.
An elderly white man entered, dressed in a suit and wearing glasses; it was Edward Witten.
"Professor Witten!" Zhou Yu'an was extremely surprised. He had met Witten when he was studying at Princeton and they had even had coffee together. So the new partner Shen Qi was talking about was the big boss Witten!
"Good morning, Zhou." Witten smiled at Zhou Yu'an; he remembered Zhou Yu'an.
"Professor Witten ..." Sha Dongdong had never met Witten in person, but Witten's face was familiar to Sha Dongdong. Who in Theoretical Physics Research hadn't heard of Witten's name?
Xiao Junlong, who conducts Mathematical Physics research, is also a fan of Witten. He clapped enthusiastically, saying, "Welcome Professor Witten! Welcome, welcome, a warm welcome!"
The 11 Condensed Matter Physics researchers, including Tang Yuan, were very excited. The godfather of their subfield should be a Condensed Matter Physics master like PW Anderson, and Witten's arrival also greatly excited the FASTER Project Team members.
Mathematical Research, Witten Li Zhenqiang, paid tribute to Edward Witten, a renowned physicist and Fields Medal winner.
Only Old Yan and Old Tu from the Biochemical Research Group seemed relatively calm, since their expertise didn't align with Witten's, so they lacked a bit of immersion.
In conclusion, the arrival of Witten has delighted the center's staff. The center's director is a double winner of the Fields Medal and the Nobel Prize, and now another Fields Medal Medal-winning physicist has joined us. Our center is producing more and more world-class experts. No other research institution in China has two Fields Medal winners at the same time.
Even though Witten's official staff belongs to the Princeton Institute for Advanced Study, the fact that he is listed as a winner of the Fields Medal still counts as a quota for the center, right?
"Here's the thing, Mr. Witten will be serving as Visiting Professor of Mathematical Physics at our center. The university will officially issue Mr. Witten his letter of appointment Visiting Professor of Yenching University tomorrow. For at least the next three years, Mr. Witten will be working alongside us. Let's give him another round of applause to warmly welcome Professor Witten to our team!" Shen Qi said loudly, leading the applause.
The applause was deafening; the researchers had been pumped up with adrenaline early in the morning.
The following day, the president of Yenching University presented Witten with a letter of appointment as Visiting Professor in the auditorium. Some media reporters were present and reported on the event.
Witten has now officially joined the Shen Qi Mathematical and Physical Research Center. Visiting Professor, he doesn't have to work at the center every weekday. Whether Witten stays at Yenching University for a few days, a few weeks, or a few months during the year depends mainly on the old man's mood.
The old man was in a good mood today, Witten took the initiative to ask him if there was any specific work he could do.
Witten volunteered to do the work, and Shen Qi had to meet the old man's needs.
After thorough communication, Shen Qi appointed Witten as the chief strategic framework Chief Designer for the NS Equation project team.
Witten's responsibility is to guide the NS Equation project team at the strategic level in carrying out its work.
Zhou Yu'an, the First Deputy Leader of the NS equation project team, Xiao Junlong, the Second Deputy Leader, stated, "We will fully cooperate with General Manager Wei and, under the overall command of Director Shen, go all out to overcome the NS equation."
The NS Equation team boasts an impressive lineup, likely the most impressive in Asia.
The "Navier-Stokes Equation Breakthrough" project of the Shen Qi Mathematical and Physical Research Center officially commences today.
The country attaches great importance to this project; the Navier-Stokes equations are the Millennium Prize Problem.
Of the seven Millennium Prize Problem in mathematics, Shen Qi has already solved two.
If we can solve just one more Navier-Stokes equation, Yenching University will have the confidence to proclaim. "We are the new Math Capital!"
The research funding for the 973 Program, "Research on Navier-Stokes Equations," is still under review. Yenching University has allocated 10 million yuan from its basic research fund to the Shen Qi Mathematical and Physical Research Center.
The Beijing Municipal Science and Technology Commission and the Beijing Municipal Education Commission allocated 20 million yuan in research funding to the Shen Qi Mathematical and Physical Research Center.
It is foreseeable that the funding allocated by the state for the 973 Program will not be less than the amount provided by Yenching University and local governments.
For a single Navier-Stokes equations project, the center can secure research funding of no less than 60 million RMB, and potentially exceeding 10 million USD.
Witten was quite surprised. "A theoretical research project can apply for so much research funding?"
In fact, applying for NSF (National Science Foundation) grants in the United States is not that easy, especially for purely theoretical research projects, which can take several years to review for millions of dollars.
Princeton is a relatively wealthy private university with its own research fund. They also value basic theoretical research and provide certain financial support to scholars engaged in basic theoretical research.
Regardless, a basic theoretical research project with funding exceeding ten million US dollars is considered a large project.
Witten accepted the order and got ready to work. For him, the NS Equation project was both fun and challenging.