On April 24th, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, and the China Association for Science and Technology announced the list of National Advanced Groups and Individuals in Popular Science Work. SCMU’s School of Life Sciences was awarded the “National Advanced Group in Popular Science Work”, while Professor Li Lin from the School of Chemistry and Materials Science was honored as a “National Advanced Individual in Popular Science Work”. This marks the first time SCMU has received the National Advanced Group award in popular science, as well as the first time the university has been awarded both the group and individual honors simultaneously.
In recent years, the School of Life Sciences has vigorously promoted popular science education by taking scientific research as the source and field scientific investigations as examples. It has put popular science work and scientific innovation on equal footing, synergistically advancing them while actively exploring new methods and paths for popular science work at ethnic minority universities. Taking advantage of the rich biodiversity resources in ethnic minority regions, the school has long been dedicated to the conservation and comprehensive utilization of biodiversity in these areas. Based on long-term field research, the school has published a series of high-quality popular science works, including the National Nature Reserve Plant Atlas Series of Wuling Mountains (5 volumes), the Exploring Life in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Series (5 volumes), and the Bio-resources of Central China Series (6 volumes) successively published since 2014.
In terms of popular science activities, the School of Life Sciences has organized a series of featured events, such as the “Life Science Exploration Camp” for cultivating primary and secondary school students’ interests through voluntary service, regularly holding “Open Lab Day” activities, and conducting popular science course series in various primary and secondary schools in Wuhan. In September 2023, the “Popular Science on the Frontier” and “Popular Science in Rural Areas” events co-hosted by the National Ethnic Affairs Commission, China Association for Science and Technology, and China Earthquake Administration and undertaken by SCMU were held successively in 8 primary schools in Debao County and Pingxiang City, Guangxi, promoting science and technology to empower frontier areas and rural revitalization through practical actions.
PhD lectures on science at primary schools. Photo provided by School of Life Sciences
Field scientific investigations. Photo provided by School of Life Sciences
The School of Life Sciences has worked hard on the path of popular science and reaped remarkable results. Four faculty members from the school have been commended during the National Science and Technology Activity Week and major demonstration activities. Professor Liu Hong won the first prize of the National Outstanding Popular Science Micro Video Works, the second prize of the 2nd National Plant Science Popular Science Short Video Competition, and was named an Advanced Individual in the National Popular Science Day in Hubei Province. Associate Professor Liu Jiao won the second prize in the Hubei Popular Science Lecture Competition and the second prize in the Wuhan Popular Science Lecture Competition. The “User’s Guide of Aquatic Medicinal Plants in Xuan’en County” edited by Professor Qin Rui was selected as an Outstanding Popular Science Work in Wuhan. In 2022-2023, the school’s provincial scientific research platform “Wild Plant Natural Science and Technology Resource Library of Wuling Mountain Area” was selected as a Popular Science Education Base in Hubei Province.
Over the years, while conscientiously teaching and educating students, Professor Li Lin has also been dedicated to disseminating scientific knowledge, winning numerous awards such as the first prize in the National Popular Science Lecture Competition, the first prize in the State Ethnic Affairs Commission Popular Science Lecture Competition, and the first prize in the Hubei Science Experiment Exhibition and Performance Competition.
In 2020, Professor Li Lin took the stage at the National Popular Science Lecture Competition, delivering a lecture titled “I am the Magical Catalyst”, and ultimately won the national first prize and the title of “Top Ten National Popular Science Ambassadors”. In 2023, she was invited as a judge for the 10th National Popular Science Lecture Competition. During the three years from being a contestant to becoming a judge, Professor Li Lin has expanded her popular science lectures from the university to primary and secondary school classrooms and rural enterprises, adapting her approach to different audiences and steadily deepening her engagement in popular science work.
Furthermore, Professor Li Lin, together with Professor Yang Haijian from the School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, has offered the elective course “Theory and Practice of Popular Science Lectures” to cultivate more talented individuals for popular science work. The bilingual course “Exploring the Nobel Prize in Chemistry” co-taught by Professor Li Lin and Professor Wang Xian embodies two essential aspects of popular science work－disseminating scientific knowledge and fostering a scientific spirit. After being offered as a school elective, this course has also been made available on multiple platforms including China Universities MOOC, Xuexi Qiangguo, and Xuetang Online International. In 2021, the course was evaluated as a “First-Class” course in Hubei Province and subsequently went global, being selected as one of the first open courses in Indonesia, becoming the only course from a university in Hubei to be included, attracting widespread attention both at home and abroad.
Professor Li Lin’s popular science lecture.
Photo provided by School of Chemistry and Materials Science
In recent years, SCMU’s Office of Science and Technology Development has consistently taken on the tasks of enhancing popular science service capabilities, vigorously promoting the scientific spirit, and popularizing scientific and technological knowledge. It regularly organizes a series of popular science activities each year, presenting a rich and diverse science feast to the public through scientific research platforms and facilities, exhibition boards, pictures, multimedia presentations, on-site interpretations, interactive games, popular science education films, and knowledge quizzes, effectively promoting SCMU’s scientific and technological advantages.
Edited by Liu Qiong, reviewed by Lei Changsheng
