China Daily Global Edition (USA)
Foreign physicist finds motivation in missionary of 1700s
Slovenian physicist Rudolf Podgornik said he had some initial doubts about his decision to take a position in China when he first arrived in Beijing in November.
“When I was growing up, we didn’t hear much about China,” he said.
“The first time I remember hearing about China was an interview of Zhou Enlai I saw on television years ago. Everybody was around Zhou, and one question I remember was, ‘What do you think of the French Revolution, which took place in the 1790s?’
“Zhou thought for a while and replied by saying that it was too early to say.”
The 63-year-old physicist could not help but beam when he recalled the exchange. “What a great answer,” he said.
When Podgornik visited Nankai University in Tianjin in January, he seized on the opportunity to take a picture with a statue of Zhou Enlai on campus.
Podgornik also likes to read books on Chinese philosophy by Zhuangzi and Laozi to form a basic understanding of the country’s culture and the way the people think.
For most of his professional life, Podgornik taught and conducted research in Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana, as well as in the United States, specializing in soft matter and biophysics.
“One of my Chinese doctoral students in the United States introduced China’s Thousand Talents Plan to me when I was a few years from retirement,” he said. “I thought it would be interesting to do something different through this program.”
In April, Podgornik was officially recruited as a foreign expert to work at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing.
He now leads a laboratory manned by a small group of PhD students at the university’s School of Physical Sciences.
As the only foreigner at the school, Podgornik said he found it difficult at the beginning to adapt to a different environment.
“I think Chinese culture puts a lot of weight on a professor’s authority. There is a big gap between professors and students, and students tend to follow educators without question,” he said.
When Podgornik occasionally encounters culture differences like these, a famous compatriot from ages past motivates him to keep moving forward.
“I was born in the same town as Ferdinand Hallerstein, a foreign missionary to
I hope that I can contribute to the development of science in China.” Rudolf Podgornik, Slovenian physicist
China who worked for the Chinese government for more than 30 years,” he said.
The missionary — known as Liu Songling in China — was born in Ljubljana, and traveled to China in the 18th century during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
In addition to his religious duties, Hallerstein was appointed head of the astronomical observatory, and oversaw the creation of an armillary sphere with rotating rings that is still on display in the Beijing Ancient Observatory.
Podgornik said he also hopes to bring something new to China with his rich knowledge in the world of physics.
“I hope that I can contribute to the development of science in China,” he said. “My dream would be to establish biophysics as a separate subject at the university.”
Biophysics is the application of physical principles to the study of viruses, and Podgornik said he feels that China is not strong in this field right now.
“I want to be part of the force that makes China stronger in science,” he said.
As his initial skepticism has gradually faded away, Podgornik is settling down in Beijing. He has bought an electric bike, and delights in riding it about town.
“I am satisfied with everything so far, and I am excited to expand my work and enjoy my new adventure in China,” he said.