Since 1998, the major of basic science of mathematics and physics in Tsinghua University has been established, 2 19 students have graduated for four times, of which 138 students are studying for master's or doctoral degrees in China and 39 students are studying abroad. Many students published many papers in world-class magazines during their undergraduate years-

A group of "quasi-top talents" stand out.

Like many students with scientific dreams, after an unforgettable four-year study life in Tsinghua University, Qi Yang, who scored 0 1 in mathematics and physics, will go to the United States to continue his favorite theoretical physics research. After receiving the acceptance letters from four top universities, Harvard, Princeton, Yale and Stanford, he finally chose Harvard.

Like Qi Yang, Jin, who jumped from Class 02 to Class 0 1, was admitted to eight famous American universities: California Institute of Technology, Berkeley, Chicago, Cornell, UIUC, Duke, Hopkins and University of Pennsylvania. Because Caltech ranks first in the United States in applied physics and astrophysics, Kim chose Caltech.

There are many students like Qi Yang and Jin who have got offer from many top universities in the world at the same time, and there are many students in Basic Science 0 1 class. At the same time, many outstanding students choose to stay at school or continue their basic scientific research in other relevant institutions in China.

Since 198 was founded, the basic science course of mathematics and physics in Tsinghua University, which is known as the "experimental field for cultivating top-notch talents", has been graduated by 2 19 people in four phases, among which 138 people are studying for master's or doctoral degrees in China and 39 people are going abroad for further study. Many students have published many papers in world-class magazines during their undergraduate years. In just seven years, a number of "quasi-top talents" have emerged in the "experimental field" of the basic science class of mathematics and physics.

Sharpen a sword in seven years.

At the beginning of the basic course of mathematical physics, it was clearly put forward to cultivate outstanding talents with international competitiveness, and the slogan of "grinding a sword in ten years" was put forward. Even if there are only three or five young talents every year, as long as they persist in doing it for a long time, they can accumulate a number of outstanding talents who can show their talents in the international academic arena, and some of them are likely to become outstanding top talents. In a short period of seven years, the students who graduated from the basic courses of mathematics and physics have shown great potential and good quality in scientific research, which has also made them the targets of many famous universities in the world. What kind of exploration and innovation has made this "experimental field" bright in seven years?

Professor Wang Hui, executive deputy director of the Academic Affairs Office, believes that the basic course of mathematics and physics is worth recommending in three aspects: first, the unique curriculum and excellent teachers have laid a solid foundation for students in mathematics and physics; Second, the personalized training program provides students with the space of independent choice, so that students can really find their own interests; Third, Seminar enables students to enter their interested scientific research fields as soon as possible under the guidance of tutors, which embodies the school-running policy of "broad caliber, thick foundation and strong practice" for basic courses.

After studying in the basic course of mathematical science for four years, Qiyang has two deepest feelings: one is that the teaching staff is strong and excellent, and the other is that students can postpone for two years and choose their favorite majors and tutors freely.

Teacher Shang Rencheng, one of the founders of the basic course of mathematics and physics, believes that it is very important to give students two years to lay the foundation and then find their own fields of interest.

Professor Bai Fengshan, one of the founders of the basic courses of mathematics, physics and chemistry, and vice president of the School of Science, said that university is four years for people to grow up, even four years for adults. Everyone has something better than others. The question is whether students can be confident and find their own strengths. Therefore, universities should first provide students with a relaxed environment, implement personalized training programs, let students lay a good foundation, and then determine their future development direction according to their interests. Professor Bai Fengshan believes that the basic course of mathematics and physics is an innovation and attempt of the school teaching system.

In order to ensure the implementation of this personalized training program and let students enjoy full freedom of choice, the basic courses employ tutors inside and outside the school to guide students to participate in special research courses, and students can choose from a variety of options; In addition, if a student determines the future development direction when he is a sophomore, he can choose the courses of relevant departments, which greatly expands the scope of basic courses.

Choose world famous teachers and learn from them. Qi Yang, who entered the basic course because he won the gold medal in the International Olympic Physics Competition, wanted to transfer to engineering in his sophomore year. Because of the teacher's wonderful explanation in class, he really found his interest in physics and mathematics, and finally took physics as the direction of lifelong struggle.

Hiring the best teachers from the whole school or even the whole country is a feature of the basic course of mathematics and physics. These excellent teachers bring students not only knowledge, but also personality charm. It is they who open the door to the hall of science for the outstanding students in the basic course of mathematical physics. As Zhai Hui, a class of 98, said, "In the basic course of mathematics and physics, I accepted the best basic education and solid scientific research training that China can give now."

His classmate Zeng Bei lamented: "It may be the greatest luck of Kikeban people to get the guidance and care of so many famous teachers. Because this is not only a great gain in knowledge, but also a love for the cause and the shock and thinking brought by the persistence of science. "

Professor Nie Huatong, director of the Advanced Research Center of Tsinghua University, said: "Zhai Hui of Class One and Qi Liangxiao of Class Two are students who are full of enthusiasm and hobbies for physics. They have a good sense of physics and strong mathematical deduction ability, which is very rare. Many visiting scholars from abroad are full of praise for them. Compared with my classmates two or three years ago when I was a graduate student at Harvard University in the 1960s, Zhai Tiantian and Qi really surpassed them. "

Professor Zheng Guangsheng, director of the Department of Physics of the University of Hong Kong, commented that students of the basic course of mathematics and physics are very active in international conferences, have good English, are active in academic activities at school, and are also active in asking questions in academic reports.

Teaching students in accordance with their aptitude and taking students as the foundation.

Emphasizing teaching students in accordance with their aptitude and putting the cultivation of top-notch talents in the first place is an idea established at the beginning of the establishment of the basic course of mathematical physics. Trying to pay attention to every student and let them give full play to their own characteristics, teachers such as Shang Rencheng, Xiong Jiajiong and Ruan Dong, who are in charge of the basic courses of mathematics and physics, have devoted a lot of efforts to this. Especially when the junior students choose special research classes, teachers should guide each student to choose a tutor and determine the training plan from the students' point of view. This point-to-point guidance and painstaking management for students has enabled these members of the "Science Peak Mountaineering Team" to overcome many external difficulties.

In the eyes of teachers and classmates, Shao Hua of Kiko 0 1 is a "geek" in physics. Many teachers and classmates admire his persistence in physics and his physical talent. Two teachers, Shang Rencheng and Ruan Dong, said with appreciation, "Shao Hua taught himself the four major mechanics, an important course for physics majors in middle schools, and also had a unique solution to mathematical equations, and also published a paper. He was sent to math and physics classes without exception. When he was doing special research in his junior year, he calculated the formulas in differential geometry and gauge field theory alone. " The works of Professor Feynman, the Nobel Prize winner, are called "the Bible of Physics" in American physics circles. Many people tried to use his books as teaching materials, but finally gave up because it was too difficult. Professor Feynman's Lecture Notes on Quantum Electrodynamics is a difficult book to read, but Shao Hua deduced all the formulas in the book in his junior year.

Shao Hua, who has such a keen interest in physics, likes to teach himself and often misses classes. This unconventional practice has aroused many people's different opinions. His exam results were mediocre. For such a special student, after being recommended, he went to the Institute of Theoretical Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to pursue a doctorate. "It is very suitable for the development of Shao Hua, and I believe he will achieve something in the future." Teacher Ruan Dong said.

Teaching students in accordance with their aptitude is vividly reflected in the special research courses selected by students. Yang Huan of Keke 02 and Zhou Yifan who skipped to Keke 0 1 both transferred to California Institute of Technology to continue their undergraduate studies because of their excellent grades.

Step into the door of scientific research from special research class

The special research class starts from junior year and lasts for three semesters. It is the first step for students of basic courses of mathematics and physics to carry out scientific research practice training and enter the scientific research gate. Thematic research course is a unique teaching mode of basic courses of mathematics and physics, and its purpose is to cultivate students' ability of self-study, synthesis and association under the guidance of teachers. Cultivate students' spirit of exploration and innovation; The close relationship between teachers and students is conducive to students' diversion in different directions and teaching students in accordance with their aptitude.

The basic practice is to hire a special seminar tutor inside and outside the school, and the tutor will put forward the topic, list the required documents and announce them to the students. Students will register to choose topics and corresponding tutors according to their hobbies. Divide the students into several groups according to the content, and report and exchange the research progress of the topic regularly in the groups. In the third summer vacation, the whole class exchanged the progress of the special research class and asked each student to report his own research progress and his own understanding of the frontier of the subject in the research field.

Students enjoy full autonomy in choosing special research courses. If after a period of practice, you find that you are not interested in the subject of the selected tutor, you can also change tutors. This full freedom enables students to constantly find and determine their own points of interest in exploration, and it is indeed out of their own interest in the final tutor and topic selection. It is precisely because of their interest that students can enter the research topic as soon as possible when doing special research classes, and have made remarkable achievements.

Zeng Bei is a 98-grade student in the basic science class. Because she is very interested in symmetry, quantum information and differential geometry in quantum mechanics, she entered a special research class in the third grade, and chose Zeng from Tsinghua, Peking University and Professor Sun Changpu from the Institute of Theory of China Academy of Sciences as her tutors. Her exploration spirit and scientific research ability have been highly praised by her tutors. Of the five papers completed with tutors and other collaborators during the undergraduate period, four were published in SCI.

Zhai Hui entered a special research class in the third grade. He studied and studied the mathematical methods in Bose-Einstein condensation and quantum mechanics with Professor Xu Zhan, and completed four papers at the undergraduate stage. After entering the postgraduate stage, Mr. Yang Zhenning chose him as the first doctoral student personally trained in China. A little over two years later, Zhai Hui received a doctorate. He is the first basic class student to get a doctorate.

Xu Cenke is a 99-year-old student in the basic course. Since his junior year, he has chosen the direction of theoretical physics from the stage of special research class. He not only achieved excellent results in the main courses of mathematics and physics, but also completed the basic courses of theoretical physics for graduate students under the guidance of his tutor, laying a solid foundation of mathematics and physics. Graduated from Berkeley University in 2003 and went abroad. He took the qualification examination in the first semester after he arrived at school, and his score was the first in the whole department. A few months after I arrived in the United States, I cooperated with my tutor and published an influential paper on SCI as the first author.

In some interdisciplinary fields, students in math and science classes also performed quite well. Zhao Fu, a 99-year-old basic course, participated in the recruitment competition of Morgan Stanley, one of the largest investment banks in the world, in 2003 after training in the special research course of the School of Economics and Management. There are over 300 qualified applicants in Asia. After a very strict selection and a long and rigorous interview with five senior leaders of the bank's Asian headquarters, Zhao Fu finally became the only member of the company recruited in Asia. Their evaluation of Zhao Fu is that he has not only a mathematical foundation, but also economic and financial study and research training, with a unique way of thinking.

Because the students in the basic course of mathematics and physics have a good foundation in mathematics and physics, they are active in thinking and get into the questions quickly. Every semester, many professors actively hope that students will go to them to do special research classes. In recent years, many students have been recommended by the instructors of special research courses to do special research courses, graduation thesis or doctoral research in relevant departments of foreign universities. For example, Sun Hema, a class of 98, was recommended by their biological special research tutor, Academician Rao, to do a graduation thesis at erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and was recommended to study for a doctorate in biology at Hopkins University in the United States after graduation.

The group exchange and class exchange activities of special research classes can not only make students know each other about special research classes in different colleges and departments, but also form a spontaneous and interdisciplinary academic discussion atmosphere among students. Form a group on the research topic of interest, each person will give a lecture, and then discuss the topic in depth. Many students are enthusiastic about this spontaneous academic discussion. The atmosphere of research and discussion in basic classes has also led many students from physics and mathematics departments to join in.

The good scientific research atmosphere and the unique practical training of special research courses make the students of basic courses gallop freely in the sea of scientific research in Wang Yang, and have achieved good results. For example, among about 40 graduate students and senior undergraduates studying in the Astrophysics Center, Hu Jian (Basic Science 98), Lin Jinrong (Basic Science 98), Zheng Chen (Basic Science 99) and two other graduate students are called "Five Tiger Generals", and each of them has published 1-2 papers with great international influence. Lin Jinrong's research work has also been specially reported by New Scientist magazine. In recent two years, they have been very active in several international conferences. According to incomplete statistics, from 200 1 to 2004, students in basic science classes who were only diverted to physics published 18 articles, of which 12 articles were published in internationally renowned magazines including the top periodical PRL. 15 people gave a speech at the international conference.