In the journey of research and development of advanced nuclear energy technology, Wang Dazhong has worked for decades. At the 2020 National Science and technology award conference, Wang Dazhong, an internationally renowned nuclear scientist and educator, was awarded the national highest science and technology award. Wang Dazhong led the research team out of the successful path of China's advanced nuclear energy technology with inherent safety as the main feature. At the same time, Wang Dazhong is also an academic leader in this field and the former president of Tsinghua University, making outstanding contributions to China's talent training. Life for nuclear life for the country In the 1960s, a group of young people gathered at the foot of Yanshan mountain, Nankou, Changping, Beijing. Under the difficult conditions of low starting point and weak foundation at that time, the youth team enthusiastically shouted the heroic slogan of "creating the spring of the motherland's atomic energy cause with our hands". In 1964, this young scientific research team built China's first shielded test reactor that was researched, designed, built and operated by itself. Among them is Wang Dazhong. At that time, it took a day from downtown Beijing to the scientific research site, and Wang Dazhong and his colleagues all settled at the foot of the mountain. As the first batch of students majoring in nuclear reactor in China, Wang Dazhong has gradually grown into a leader with engineering practical experience and strategic thinking in the struggle of combining theory with practice from reactor physical design, reactor thermal hydraulic design and experiment, and then zero power reactor physical experiment. Scientific research is like mountaineering. There are always endless obstacles and abysses that must be crossed. In 1979, the world nuclear energy industry fell into a trough. Wang Dazhong realized that safety is the lifeline of nuclear energy development. How to solve this problem? Wang Dazhong led the team to aim at this major problem and adhere to the development of inherently safe nuclear reactors. From key technology breakthrough, to experimental reactor, to demonstration project construction, we have persevered, step by step, solved the world's problems, and walked out of the road of independent innovation from following and leading the world. Wang Dazhong said: "overcoming difficulties requires understanding, courage and resilience. Understanding refers to the ability to analyze problems. Courage is to dare to try and dare to choose no man's land in the field of science and technology. Resilience is to have indomitable strength in the face of setbacks." People who know Wang Dazhong deeply feel that his thin body is full of extraordinary wisdom, and his modest appearance contains firm will. When the country needed nuclear energy, he resolutely chose the major of nuclear reactor; When the development of nuclear energy fell into a trough, he insisted on not giving up at the beginning; After identifying the academic goal of inherent safety, he persevered until he reached the peak of reactor safety Nuclear safety from "learning the world" to "looking at China" Zhang Zuoyi, President of the Institute of nuclear energy and new energy technology of Tsinghua University, now has the office where Wang Dazhong worked. The room also displays photos of Wang Dazhong's research abroad in that year. "For some key technologies, it was suggested to purchase relevant technical documents from other countries at that time. After scientific research, Wang Dazhong's team was determined to carry out independent research and development on the basis of fully understanding the world's most cutting-edge." Zhang Zuoyi said that this decision had a far-reaching impact. From this, independent innovation under open conditions has become the main line of the team's research and development. Reading Wang Dazhong's numerous notebooks not only records his thoughts on the subject, but also extends his vision to ten, twenty and thirty years. How to do nuclear safety? This issue is deeply imprinted in Wang Da center. In the early 1980s, the haze of the world energy crisis still remained, and domestic social development urgently needed adequate energy supply. Wang Dazhong keenly recognized the importance of nuclear energy and actively devoted himself to the research of low-temperature nuclear heating reactor. Since 1985, Wang Dazhong has presided over the research of low temperature nuclear heating reactor. He led the team to demonstrate for nearly a year, during which he specially led the team to Europe for investigation, finally determined the shell integrated natural circulation water-cooled reactor scheme, and planned to build a 5 MW low-temperature nuclear heating experimental reactor first. International nuclear experts evaluated the project: This is not only an important milestone in the world's nuclear heating reactor, but also an important milestone in solving the pollution problem. "In terms of goal orientation, we should 'jump up and pick fruit'. If the goal is too high or too low, we can only return to no avail or fail to achieve the expected results; 'jump up and pick up' is the appropriate high standard. Try to make ourselves jump higher, so as to realize the combination of bold innovation and pragmatism." Wang Dazhong summarized the project experience. This is only the first "jump". Wang Dazhong will continue to "jump" and continue to "pick bigger and better fruits". The Chernobyl nuclear accident has brought the world's nuclear energy development to a low point, and the issue of nuclear safety has become more prominent. But at this time, Wang Dazhong did not waver. He firmly believes that as long as the safety problem is solved, nuclear energy still has broad prospects, and the new modular high temperature gas cooled reactor with inherent safety will become one of the important development directions of nuclear energy. He Jiankun, former executive vice president of Tsinghua University, commented: "Mr. Wang Dazhong has insisted on charging in one direction for decades and has never wavered. This tenacity is also the embodiment of his scientist spirit." With the support of the National 863 program, he led his team to start the research and development of 10MW modular high temperature gas cooled reactor. The project was connected to the grid in 2003, causing strong repercussions in the world. From laboratory to engineering, Wang Dazhong's team continues to push China's independent innovation achievements to the forefront of the world. After the success of 10MW high temperature reactor, Wang Dazhong proposed to realize the leap from experimental reactor to industrial scale prototype reactor. He ran in many ways, guided the team to actively explore the road of industry university research cooperation, and made a number of advanced nuclear energy innovation achievements have been greatly applied. Be willing to be a ladder of people and cultivate people for a hundred years Nuclear engineering is an interdisciplinary subject, which needs to be well understood and can not be talked about on paper. We should be calm and patient. Over the past few decades, Wang Dazhong has brought out a team that can fight a hard battle and has also made important contributions to the reform and development of China's higher education. In 1985, Wang Dazhong took over the responsibility of the director of the Institute of nuclear energy technology of Tsinghua University (the predecessor of the Institute of nuclear energy and new energy technology of Tsinghua University) from LV Yingzhong, the old director, and continued to adhere to the road of tackling key problems in a team. His goal is to solve the major needs of the country. He must organize large teams to fight collectively. Together with his colleagues, he overcame many difficulties, persisted even when the nuclear energy industry fell into a trough, and brought out a dynamic innovation team with extensive influence at home and abroad and able to undertake from theoretical research to major engineering projects. While building the team, Wang Dazhong also carefully trains successors who can inherit the team spirit. With the words and deeds of the older generation of scientists, the younger generation of scientists have grown up. Many young and middle-aged scientific and technological personnel have successively become relevant principals of major national scientific and technological projects. If it was Wang Dazhong's active choice to major in nuclear reactor in his youth, his appointment as president of Tsinghua University in 1994 was another wonderful life course he started. "Mr. Wang Dazhong is not only my academic mentor, but also my life mentor," said Shi Lei, a professor at the Institute of nuclear energy and new energy technology of Tsinghua University. During Shi Lei's doctoral thesis, Wang Dazhong gave detailed guidance to almost every chapter, section and paragraph. "Almost every expression and punctuation comes from the details. Mr. Wang's rigorous and meticulous style of study has benefited me all my life." Facing the 21st century, Wang Dazhong led the school leadership to put forward the school running idea of "comprehensive, research-oriented and open", formulated the overall development strategy of "three nine years and three steps", established the talent training goal of "high quality, high level, diversification and creativity", and completed the comprehensive discipline layout, It has made important contributions to Tsinghua University's ranking among the world's first-class universities and the reform and development of China's higher education. (outlook new era)