"Learn advanced science and technology so that I can return and serve my country." | Time Letter

In 1937, Qian Sanqiang went to the University of Paris to study with a strong desire to serve his country, and did research under the guidance of the second generation Curie couple - Irène Curie and her husband Joliot-Curie.

In 1946, Qian Sanqiang observed with Irene's microscope at the Curie Laboratory in Paris.

Source | Tsinghua University News Report

In 1947, Qian Sanqiang and his wife He Zehui achieved breakthrough results in their research on the tertiary and quadruple fission of uranium nuclei. They published an article entitled "On the Mechanism of Triple Fission of Uranium Nuclei", which attracted great attention in the world nuclear physics community.

Qian Sanqiang

Source | Senior Scientists Academic Growth Data Collection Project

Soon after, Qian Sanqiang became the first Chinese to be hired as a researcher at the French National Center for Scientific Research, and he held an important academic position in the French scientific community. At that time, colleagues believed that Qian Sanqiang would definitely continue to work in France, but Qian Sanqiang said: "Zehui and I are very clear that continuing to stay in Paris will certainly be very beneficial to our scientific work; returning to poor, backward, and war-torn China, it is probably difficult to make any achievements in scientific experiments. But we are more clear that although science has no national boundaries, scientists all have a motherland. It is precisely because the motherland is poor and backward that scientists need to work harder to change her face. We left our hometowns and traveled across the ocean to study in Europe in order to learn advanced science and technology so that we can return to serve the motherland. How can we change our original intention?" Qian Sanqiang, who decided to return to China, was invited to teach at his alma mater, Tsinghua University. In his reply to President Mei Yiqi on February 1, 1947, he proposed the construction of China's nuclear physics laboratory. He wrote in the letter:

"For teaching and cultivating people, it is particularly important to have students interested in it under the current situation in our country. However, I hope that in addition to teaching, we can also establish a nuclear physics research center. Teacher Zhou (Zhou Peiyuan) also agrees with this opinion. I wonder if you have any plans for such equipment? According to my experience in Europe, the equipment cost of a small-scale nuclear physics laboratory is about 50,000 US dollars. If you ask for details, I will inform you immediately.

Letter from Qian Sanqiang to Mei Yiqi

Source | Senior Scientists Academic Growth Data Collection Project

On June 10, 1948, Qian Sanqiang boarded a passenger ship back to China with his wife and daughter, became a professor at Tsinghua University, and promoted the construction of China's Nuclear Physics Laboratory.

Qian Sanqiang and He Zehui with their mother after returning to Beijing

Source | Senior Scientists Academic Growth Data Collection Project

Since then, the atomic energy industry has taken root in China, and Qian Sanqiang has devoted his life to the development of China's atomic energy science and talent training.

Premier Zhou Enlai visits the Institute of Atomic Energy

Source | Senior Scientists Academic Growth Data Collection Project

Old Money Sanqiang

Source | Chinese Scientists

Qian Sanqiang

(1913-1992)

Nuclear physicist

Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

"Two Bombs and One Satellite"

Medal of Merit Recipient