The Sixth China Beijing International High-Tech Expo was held last September, Beijing's best season, when summer's heat has disappeared and winter's cold still seems distant. Although short, the expo impressed and pleased every participant with its comfortable atmosphere for exchange, cooperation, and pursuit of mutual benefits.

At the exposition, the international symposiums on financial markets and fast-growing enterprises grabbed most people's attention. The speakers, including leaders from state ministries and commissions, experts and scholars in domestic and foreign economic circles, presidents of Chinese and foreign fast-growth enterprises, and senior executives of world-renowned financial institutions, demonstrated their wit and achievements, making the symposiums feasts of thoughts and wisdom.

On September 12 and 13, Zhu Mingdao, an academic entrepreneur, gave a lecture entitled The Twin Engines for the Soaring of Fast-Growth Enterprises: High Technology and Capital, at the Great Hall of the People and the Kerry Centre Hotel Beijing, respectively. His speech won thunderous applause.
With 44 years of experience in teaching and scientific research, Professor Zhu has won prizes and honors on many occasions, such as the gold prize of the U.S. World Invention Award, the gold prize of the California Hi-Tech Award, and the National Natural Science Prize of China. As I came closer to him and talked with him over a cup of coffee, I was deeply impressed by his fervent patriotic passion. Almost all of his topics were devoted to the future of China in the face of economic and financial globalization after China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Zhu's accomplishments in science and technology are well established. In 1982, following an instruction from the leaders of the central government, he started research into the world's hot topics in science and technology and released his first results at the First National Academic Conference, results later published in the Japanese monthly Nature. In 1984, his second research results were released at the "2000 Prospect Seminar" held by the State Development Planning Commission and were reported as the seminar's special subject to the State Council. In 1993, his third hi-tech achievement passed the authentication of the ministerial level and received high praise at an international academic forum held by the United Nations. In 1999, his fourth hi-tech achievement, "series deep-processing technology for pressure relief popped products," was honored with state patent technology by the State Intellectual Property Office of China and received two Authentication Certificates for Hi-Tech Achievement at the China Hi-Tech Fair.

At present, Zhu is the chief executive officer of the Awozi Space Seed-Cultivation Technology Co., Ltd., and the president of the U.S.-based Erik High-Tech Group Company. He also acts as the director of the hi-tech development department of the U.S.-based Asia-Pacific Foundation for Trade and Economic Development.

Zhu's transformation from an academic scholar to a manager of high-tech enterprises was a success.
"For the sake of the revitalization of the Chinese nation," Zhu said, "I have set my sights on the world's state-of-the-art science." His voice was gentle, but his eyes fiery.

In recent years, Zhu has been trotting tirelessly between China and America. Serving as a guest professor at domestic universities, he feels very delighted.

"I enjoy being together with young people," he said. "They make me feel much younger than my age."
Zhu also has a mastery of aesthetics. In his view, there are common elements in the fields of natural sciences, social sciences, and aesthetics. He likes to use the theories in one field to explain some phenomenon in another, so as to find the reasons of their existence. When taking about this, Zhu was like a child who had just discovered buried treasure, pleasantly smiling and irrepressibly proud.
"Litterateurs create artistic images based on their experiences and inspirations from life," he said. "The same principle applies to scientists, who create emulated images by using abstract thought and computer science."

Then he drank a sip of coffee with much enjoyment, and smiled.

(China Pictorial  December 20, 2003)