China’s scientists aren’t shy about promoting their work any more
- Years of language barriers and a culture of modesty are left behind as country’s scientists are inspired by ‘wolf spirit’
- While most review articles are produced by Western nations, one study of citations in 2018 suggests China is leading the way
Miriding Mutailipu is a crystal scientist from Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Raised in Lop county, one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Hotan prefecture, he grew up in a part of China known for thousands of years as a source of precious stones.
As an undergraduate chemistry student, Mutailipu worked at a supermarket to help support his family while he created crystals in a laboratory, state media said.
On December 10, Mutailipu and his mentor Professor Pan Shilie – a lead scientist in China’s laser research programme – jointly published a review article in the German chemistry journal Angewandte Chemie about the development of crystals that would take the precision and energy of laser beams to unprecedented levels. They also proposed directions for further research into the technology, which could eventually be used in computer processor production and may also have military applications.
Review articles, which summarise existing research and cast light on ideas that are most likely to create scientific breakthroughs, are usually written by scientists widely recognised as leaders in their field. But language barriers, a traditional culture that held modesty as a virtue, and a backwardness in research meant generations of Chinese academics rarely contributed reviews to the global research community.