At 1 a.m. on April 28, 2024, Professor Wan Huilin, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, famous physical chemist, and School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of Xiamen University, passed away peacefully at the age of 86.
Xiamen University issued an obituary. Xiamen University is scheduled to bid farewell to Wan Huilin on May 2.
Wan Huilin was born on November 20, 1938 in Hankou, Hubei. In 1958, he was admitted to Central South Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (now Central South University). In 1959, due to his outstanding performance, he was transferred to the Department of Chemistry of Xiamen University and stayed at the school to teach after graduation. From then on, Wan Huilin did not leave Xiamen University and was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1997.
Wan Huilin has devoted his life to the research of catalytic chemistry. He has been deeply engaged in the fields of chemical simulation, theories related to biological nitrogen fixation and ammonia synthesis catalysts, selective oxidation of light alkanes, etc., and has achieved a series of original and major research results at home and abroad. Had a profound impact.
Wan Huilin has been at the forefront of teaching for a long time. The "Principles of Catalysis" he co-authored is the earliest textbook in China that systematically introduces catalytic chemistry.
is known as the "three-no professor" who "walks the tightrope". While working on scientific research, Wan Huilin has been practicing teaching and has taught many courses for undergraduates and graduate students for a long time. The collective honor is above all else, which is fully reflected in Wan Huilin's life. In the 1970s, young Wan Huilin contracted tuberculosis, and the doctor recommended that he stop working. However, he focused on the overall situation of the school, overcame the low-grade fever every day, and insisted on teaching three mornings a week. The treatment and recuperation plan was delayed again and again, and the disease that could have been cured in half a year actually took 6 years to be cured. He also took the initiative to shoulder the administrative tasks assigned to him by the college and the school. He once served as the dean of the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of Xiamen University.
There is a saying among the teachers at the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of Xiamen University - "Wan Huilin is walking a tightrope", which means that in order to achieve the "three corrects" of teaching, scientific research and administration, he had to squeeze his rest time to a minimum. As a result, he has also become one of the "Three No Professors" of Xiamen University (generally no weekends, no holidays, and no rest before twelve o'clock in the evening). The late Cai Qirui, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences at Xiamen University, was Wan Huilin’s teacher and Wan Huilin’s idol. For a long time, they lived in the Jingxian dormitory area of Xiamen University and were very close to each other. Wan Huilin would habitually take a look at his teacher Mr. Cai's study room every night before going to bed. Every time he saw the lights on in the teacher's study room.
Cai Qirui (right) and Wan Huilin (left) are discussing academic issues
Wan Huilin said that he often drives the "late night train" and works at least until after one o'clock in the morning the next day. Two or three o'clock is common, but every day The lights in Mr. Cai's house always go out later than him. "Mr. Cai is 24 years older than me, so he is still burning the midnight oil at such an advanced age. Furthermore, as a student, my knowledge accumulation is much worse than that of Mr. Cai, so I should work harder."
Moral cultivation lasts a lifetime Wan Huilin believes that, In addition to teaching knowledge, teachers also need to work with students to pursue healthy development in terms of character. "Moral cultivation is a lifelong accumulation. It doesn't mean that if you do well when you are young, you won't have to do it when you are old. In this regard, I work hard with the students and it is reflected in every word and deed."
Wan Huilin ( Center) Guiding doctoral students in scientific research with teachers in the research group
In 1997, Wan Huilin was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. As a highly respected "old academician", he was never afraid of embarrassment. "If you know something, you know it, and if you don't know it, you don't know it." "If I don't understand, I'll just say I don't understand. Which teacher did the result? Although I participated in the discussion later, I still say it was done by this teacher. Whoever did it is who did it!"
last century In the 1990s, Long Ruiqiang became Wan Huilin's student. When he and Wan Huilin discussed the topic, Wan Huilin told him that he did not understand the experiment and that Long Ruiqiang needed to explore on his own or learn from others.
Long Ruiqiang later wrote an article "My Mentor, Academician Wan Huilin", describing that he was "very surprised" when he heard this: Teacher Wan who said this in front of him was already a famous figure in the country at that time. The famous master of catalysis, he is so busy at work, he can arrange for graduate students to ask others when they have questions about experiments. There is no need to be so humble to a young guy.
Long Ruiqiang wrote: Teacher Wan is so down-to-earth that he even confessed his shortcomings in certain aspects to a student who had just entered graduate school.
Long Ruiqiang said that Teacher Wan’s humble and honest attitude had a profound impact on his life. Especially when he was embarrassed to speak up about something he didn't understand at work in the future, Teacher Wan's words always appeared in front of his eyes.
Even after Wan Huilin became an academician, his polite manner of hospitality has never changed. In recent years, he has rarely appeared in public. About seven or eight years ago, a reporter met him in an elevator. He said that he felt that he had been losing his memory.
He thought hard for a while, called the reporter's name correctly, and then said seriously, if I meet you in the future and don't remember you, it's because I'm sick. (according to Strait Metropolis Daily)
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