Academician Ruyu Chen’ 100th Anniversary Commemoration meeting was held on September 21st at Shixian Building. Xuetao Xue, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and president of Nankai University, attended the conference and delivered a speech. The main guests present include, Academician Ruyu Chen’ eldest son Zhenmin He, second son Zhenchi He, third son Zhenyu He, Jingmei Bai (Tianjin Science and Technology Association Party Group member, vice chairman, and first-level inspector), Yufen Zhao (Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tsinghua University), Jinsheng Sun (Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, CNPC Engineering Technology Research Academician), Academician Zhengming Li, Academician Licheng Song, Prof. Yanmei Li from Tsinghua University , Prof. Heping Sun (the "Organic Chemistry" journal editorial), Jun Chen (vice president of Nankai University, academician and vice president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences), former vice presidents Guiyu Jin and Naijia Guan.
President Xuetao Cao said that on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Nankai University, we solemnly commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Academician Ruyu Chen, reminisce about her brilliant scientific research life, learn the feelings of the older generation of scientists, and start the new journey of Nankai, which is of great significance to make new achievements in construction. To commemorate her, we must learn from her unswerving patriotic passion. Her several important professional choices are closely related to the major needs of the country. When choosing the direction of scientific research, she always gives priority to the major needs of the country and the people's lives. To commemorate Chen, we must learn from her caring for talents. She always attaches importance to the construction of the talent team, and cultivates a large number of talents in the field of chemistry through various means of training or introducing talents; she donates to school, subsidizes Nankai students who are patriotic, excellent in character and academic and living in difficulties. All of her life is teeming with dedication. We will deeply study the spirit of patriotism and school-loving, enterprising spirit of scientific research, spirit of serving China and spirit of caring for students, so as to encourage more Nankai people to contribute to the school's "double first-class" construction.
The head of the college of Chemistry introduced the life of Academician Ruyu Chen and her contributions in scientific research, education, discipline construction, and social services. Some guest representatives spoke at the meeting, lovingly recalling the life of Chen.
Jingmei Bai expressed welcome and thanks to the guests attending the conference on behalf of the Tianjin Association for Science and Technology. Academician Chen studied in the United States in her early years. After completing her studies, he gave up the superior conditions abroad. She broke through all obstacles and returned to the motherland with a heart of innocence, and made great contributions to the development of my country's scientific and technological undertakings. Today we solemnly hold a commemorative meeting to learn from her heart and soul, to learn from her spirit of defying hardships and bravely climbing scientific peaks, and to inspire the young generation of scientific and technological workers to set up aspirations to serve the country in order to make contributions to achieve the great rejuvenation of our nation.
Yufen Zhao made a speech as a representative of brother universities. She said that it is necessary to carry forward the spirit of Academician Chen, inherit her the career, encourage more young scientific and technological workers to join the team of organic phosphorus research, and contribute to solving major problems of national economy and people's livelihood and promoting the development of scientific undertakings.
Jinsheng Sun spoke as the student representative of Academician Chen. He fondly recalled the guidance, love, encouragement and expectation of her mentor to him, and expressed that he must keep chen’ entrustment in mind, always maintain the patriotism, strictly demand himself, be a low-key person, do things steadily, and continue to climb the technological peaks in the oil and gas field to serve the country.
Yanmei Li, the representative of Academician Chen’s hometown, introduced the customs of Minhou, recalled her interaction with Chen and her influence on her, and expressed her gratitude again to Academician Chen for supporting the development of her laboratory and will continue to struggle in her own scientific research field.
Zhengming Li made a speech on behalf of the Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry. He said that Academician Chen loves the motherland, his alma mater Nankai, the Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, and her career. She has done a lot of works in the basic research of pesticides and organophosphorus chemistry, paving the way for future research. We will always remember the contributions made by the older generation of scientists.
Huang You, the teacher representative of the Institute of Elemental Organic Chemistry, recalled the past of starting scientific research under the guidance of Chen, expressing his admiration for her love for the motherland and the ability to contribute to the motherland, and expressed his desire to inherit and carry forward her dedication spirit, as well as the determination to contribute to Nankai's "Double First-Class" construction and national construction.
Zhang Yan, the student representative who won the Chen Ruyu Scholarship, expressed her determination to practice the spirit of Academician Chen and contribute to the development of the country and society.
As a family representative, Zhenchi He thanked people from all walks of life for attending the commemorative meeting. He introduced his parents, Academician Binglin He and Academician Ruyu Chen, and expressed deep memorial feelings. He believed that his mother‘, Academician Chen , paved the way for future generations, fulfilled the responsibilities of an ordinary teacher.
Heping Sun introduced the "Organic Chemistry" album to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Academician Chen. Jing Li and Zhenmin He jointly unveiled the new book. In order to commemorate the outstanding contribution of Academician Chen to the country's pesticide chemistry and organic chemistry, the State Key Laboratory of Elemento-Organic Chemistry/Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry and the editorial department of "Organic Chemistry" jointly planned and published the "Mr. Chen Ruyu's 100th Anniversary Album". The album was published in "Organic Chemistry", Volume 39, Issue 8, 2019. It was co-authored by Academician Qilin Zhou and Prof. Chunming Cui of Nankai University and included 30 academic papers. The authors used their latest research achievements to express their respect and appreciation to Academician Chen.
With the strong support of academician Chen's family, colleagues, and students, and the information provided by the archives of Nankai University, the School of Chemistry of Nankai University collected more than 500 photos and more than 10 commemorative articles of Academician Chen, and edited the "Academician Chen Ruyu Atlas". The collection includes 7 parts: a long way to study; Yun Gong Yun Neng, Ri Xin Yue Yi; a pesticide life, fruitful fruits; a road to scientific and technological work; a gathering of fate, a love for the south; the days spent together; the memory in the heart. The content of the atlas clearly shows the academician Chen's academic path, extraordinary life journey, outstanding academic achievements and contributions, and lofty patriotic feelings.
The head of the Office of the Development Committee of Nankai University introduced the situation of the "Chen Ruyu Scholarship". In 2005, Academician Chen donated 200,000 yuan of her savings for many years to establish this scholarship. The teachers of the Institute of Elemento-organic also donated their money to contribute to the Scholarshi, donating a total of 92700 yuan. On this basis, the element supports 290,000 yuan at a ratio of 1:1. After multi-party negotiation, it was agreed to use the above donations totaling 582,700 yuan to establish the "Chen Ruyu Scholarship" fund. The scholarship is mainly used to reward the second-year and above master and doctoral students of the Institute of Elemento- Organic Chemistry. It awards 10 students every year, and the award is 2,000 yuan per person. Scholarship recipients must be patriotic and have good character and academic performance. Given the same character and performance, priority will be given to students with difficult life. Up to now, the "Chen Ruyu Scholarship" has been issued for 13 years, supporting more than 100 students.
The exhibition of academician Chen's life was set up in Shixianlou, and the guests attended the meeting. This year is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Academician Chen, and it is also the 100th anniversary of Nankai University. To this end, the organizing committee specially organized the Centennial Organophosphorus Chemistry Symposium. Academician Yufen Zhao, Academician Jinsheng Sun, Prof. Libiao Han of the Japan Institute of Industrial Technology, Prof. Yanmei Li, Prof. Yonggui of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Prof. Jianhua Xie respectively gave the academic lectures of "The Origin of Phosphorus and Life", "International Oil and Gas Situation and Challenges Facing China", "Green Treatment Methods of Organophosphorus Compounds: Resource Recycling and New Industries", "Study on the Synthesis and Properties of Phosphorylated Amyloid", and "Palladium Catalysis" "Asymmetric Hydrogenation" "Chiral Spirocyclic Amido Phosphorus Ligand and Its Application".
Chen was born in September 1919, graduated from Southwest Associated University in 1942; received the Ph.D. from Indiana University in 1952; returned to Nankai University to teach in 1956, served as director of the Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry, member of the Tianjin Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and the State Council Member of the Academic Degrees Committee and so on. She was elected as a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (academician) in 1980.
Academician Chen is a well-known organophosphorus chemist in our country. She has been mainly engaged in the teaching and scientific research of organophosphorus chemistry and pesticide chemistry for many years. Since the 1960s, a variety of new pesticides have been developed, such as the herbicide No. 1, Oatmeal No. 2, and Chlormogenin, which have created huge economic and social benefits. Significant achievements have been made in the synthesis of organophosphorus compounds with anticancer, antiviral, and herbicidal activities. She has edited 6 monographs including "Organic Phosphorus Chemistry", and won the second prize of the National Natural Science Award, the first prize of the Science and Technology Progress Award of the State Education Commission, and the first prize of the Tianjin Natural Science Award.
Representatives of domestic universities and research institutes such as Peking University, Tsinghua University, Wuhan University, Tianjin University, Central China Normal University, Hebei University of Technology, Haihe Middle School; old leaders and comrades of Nankai University and School of Chemistry, and student representatives of Academician Chen, Members of the leadership team of the School of Chemistry, and the teachers and students from the Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry attended the meeting.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Chinese Chemical Society, the Tianjin Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shandong Normal University and other units sent letters to the organizing committee of the centennial anniversary of Ruyu’s Chen’ birth and express respect and remembrance to Academician Chen, and congratulations to Nankai University’s centennial anniversary.
