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Wilczek in China

Frank is playing a central role in two major scientific initiatives in China.

He is Founding Director of the T. D. Lee Institute. Based in Shanghai and named after the great Chinese-American physicist who won a Nobel Prize for his contributions to fundamental physics, this Institute will sponsor frontier research in cosmology, particle physics, and contemporary quantum physics.

He is also Chief Scientist at the Wilczek Quantum Center, based at Shanghai Jiao Tung University, a major center for theoretical physics.

Frank spends at least one month a year in China, when he interacts with research scientists, students, and the public. He also stays in touch through frequent teleconferencing, and facilitates Chinese participation in the “Quantum Connections” conferences.

Frank was appointed founding director of the Tsung-Dao Lee Institute at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, China, on Sept. 14.

The institute was set up with the direct involvement of Xi Jinping, president of China, and the decision to nominate Wilczek was made at the government level.

Tsung-Dao Lee Institute will be the first institution built at a new Science City, located centrally in the Pudong area between downtown and Pudong airport. The total area of Science City is 94 square kilometers, and it will eventually contain eight research facilities. The institute aims to be a world-leading center for pure science and will have both theoretical activities and experimental activities. It will conduct public outreach and pursue technological ventures, which include public lectures, summer schools, and science, art and interdisciplinary ventures.

At the inauguration event, Zhongqin Lin, president of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, discussed the future opportunities and national level goals of the university: “This is one of the most exciting developments in China,” he said.

The birth of the institution began when Tsung-Dao Lee donated his archives — including a Nobel medal — to Shanghai Jiao Tong University from 2009 to 2012. In 2014, he wrote a personal letter to President Xi and proposed a creation of a unique scientific institution in Shanghai. The inauguration of Tsung-Dao Lee Institute took place on Nov. 28, 2016, with encouragement and support from President Xi.

You can read more about T.D. Lee Institute here: T.D. Lee Institute.

The Wilczek Quantum Center is a new initiative, aiming to become an international platform for scientific research, training, and exchange in fundamental quantum physics. It is named after noted American scientist Frank Wilczek, winner of the 2004 Physics Nobel Prize. Founded in October 2014 on the scenic Pingfeng campus of Zhejiang University of Technology in Hangzhou, it was moved to Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2017 in conjunction with the exciting development of T.D. Lee Institute for which Frank was appointed Founding Director. The Center will be housed in the under-constructing physics building on SJTU's Minhang campus, expected to open by Summer 2018. Quantum physics, first discovered in the early 1900s, reveals nature's deepest and most mysterious laws. Quantum ideas gave birth to electronic and other technologies that now shape our world. New discoveries in quantum theory continue to yield results that will shape our society for the new century and beyond.

The general purpose of the Center is to advance the level of fundamental research in Hangzhou and to promote scientific exchange and collaboration with the World.

At the initiative phase, the Center directs its main efforts to theoretical research in the areas of:

- ultra cold gases and quantum optics, where fundamental issues in quantum theory can be addressed cleanly - quantum information theory, simulation, and visualization - the theory of fundamental interactions and its applications to astronomy and cosmology - the application of quantum mechanics to biological processes, including the molecular basis of perception

Possible expansions in future…

- Astrophysics and cosmology - Lattice field theory - Quantum Biology … evolving with time

The Center also plans to reach out to the wider public, through cultural events, and to look for appropriate opportunities to support interdisciplinary and technological ventures.

Our goal is to develop the Center into an institution recognized worldwide, working at the cutting edge of quantum research frontiers.

You can read more about the Wilczek Quantum Center here : Wilczek Quantum Center

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