Seed's inaugural edition of the State of Science explores the current scientific landscape and its emergent hotspots—along with the motivations and ambitions of the individuals charting its future.
Read more Seed State of Science 2008
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- Emergent Science City
Mianyang, China
He Manqiu
- Age: 21
- Occupation: Engineering student in the China 150 program at SUNY Farmingdale, formerly of Sichuan University
- Why I Do Science: I have been interested in science since I was young. Only science can move society forward because it yields the basic knowledge to develop our industry, manufacturing, agriculture, and, above all, our technology. China is also paying more attention to safety issues nowadays, so what I'm learning will be useful and necessary. Learning different aspects of engineering is great when it means preventing disaster. Science is challenging, though. It's hard to fully grasp an idea when it requires knowledge in many other fields—you always have to take many conditions into account whenever you deal with a problem. But it will all be worthwhile if it means I can get a proper job later on, letting my parents enjoy their lives by my efforts.
- Person I'd Most Like to Meet: Premier Wen Jiabao
- Scientist I'd Most Like to Meet: Stephen Hawking
- When I Was Little, I Wanted to Be: A doctor, like my grandpa
- What's on My Nightstand: A Brief History of Time and Walk Over the USA
- Population: 5.2 Million
- GDP Per Capita (PPP): $5,300
- Type of Government: Communist State
On May 12, 2008 Mianyang was at the epicenter of the deadliest natural disaster since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami: the Sichuan earthquake, which killed more than 69,000 and displaced up to 11 million. Mianyang alone suffered over a quarter of those deaths.
Though there is a long healing process ahead for the city, local and national officials see this as an opportunity to redouble their investment in Mianyang's scientific and educational infrastructure.
Mianyang's birth and growth as a science and technology hub has always been tied to the Chinese military. After China defensively relocated military R&D plants to the center of the country in the 1960s, Mianyang and neighboring areas became the beneficiaries of extensive government science support. This has lead to the creation of 18 defense research institutes, including China's foremost nuclear weapons facility, the Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics.
More recently, the government has invested in collaborations between military and civilian research, hoping such "dual-use" ventures will yield profitable spin-offs to the city's burgeoning electronics sector. Six science universities feed that research community, though these schools were hit particularly hard in the earthquake. One, Southwest University of Science and Technology, immediately turned to distance learning to ensure displaced students could complete their degrees on time, and even held classes outdoors for those who remained. Foreign schools have also pitched in. The State University of New York is providing a year of tuition and housing for 150 Mianyang-area students who have pledged to work on rebuilding efforts upon their return to China. Through continued governmental investment and the resilience already shown by Mianyang's science community, the city is poised to reemerge at the heart of Chinese science development. —Evan Lerner
Emergent Science City: Mianyang, China
Posted November 20, 2008
Originally appeared in Seed 19