Chapter 302 Purchasing Instruments

Jinling Institute of Computational Materials needs research-oriented talents, and talents will not grow from the ground by themselves. Although poaching people with high salaries can solve short-term needs, research institutes without hematopoietic capabilities have no future.

From a long-term perspective, Lu Zhou needs a group of capable researchers to help him with experiments. At the same time, he needs to use the purchased instruments and researchers to help him incubate more talents.

Although there is no guarantee that these students who come to him for internship will definitely choose to work in his research institute after graduation, but as long as one third of them can stay, it is not a loss.

Regarding the gains and losses in this regard, Lu Zhou is not particularly concerned about it.

Different from the purpose of ordinary entrepreneurs, he does these things not entirely for money, nor for any noble reason. Even a little bit is produced as a by-product of the reaction.

His purest purpose is just to be able to conduct his own research as he pleases, to reveal the hidden secrets of the system, and to see a more distant future.

And this, relying on his own strength is very difficult to achieve.

So in the conversation with Dean Li, Lu Zhou made a request for a dignitary, saying that his research institute plans to recruit a group of doctoral students to participate in the research, and also plans to recruit a group of master's and undergraduate students for the purpose of internship. form to participate in the project.

After Dean Li reflected Lu Zhou's proposal to the school, Academician Xu immediately agreed.

The old man himself belongs to the "reformist" with advanced thinking. Regardless of whether the controversial "three-three system" of Jinda University has achieved the expected results, it at least reflects the determination of the school's top management to try reforms.

According to the cooperation agreement between Jinling Institute of Computational Materials and Jinling University, every year, 30 undergraduates, 10 masters, and 1-3 doctors will be recruited from the School of Chemistry to enter the Institute of Computational Materials for internships and engage in some basic and auxiliary tasks. research tasks.

That number could expand further if the method proves feasible.

These internship positions will not delay students' studies, but can also strengthen their understanding of professional knowledge in practice.

Especially for undergraduate students, access to research is itself quite limited.

It is precisely because of this that as soon as the school's documents were issued, the students of the School of Chemistry actively participated in it.

Especially for juniors and seniors who plan to develop into the research field, the application rate is so high that they have to be screened through the ranking of professional grade points in the end.

As for freshmen and sophomores, Lu Zhou also allocated some places.

Although the professional knowledge of the juniors still needs to be strengthened, they are all potential stocks and have a lot of room for plasticity.

Even if you can't read the literature, can't do the experiment, just hang around in the laboratory to help clean up, and listen to the bragging of the bosses, you can recognize two more medicines and broaden your horizons.

"The top students in our chemical institute are all on this list," Academician Li said in a half-joking tone when he found Lu Zhou with a list, "Let's make an agreement first. Talent cultivation, don’t abduct all the treasures of our chemical institute to study mathematics.”

Lu Zhou said with a smile, "Don't worry about this, I guarantee that as many people as I borrowed, there will be as many people when I return it."

Computational materials science, as the name suggests, must study mathematics, but it must still focus on chemistry. For research in cutting-edge fields, the boundaries between disciplines are not so clear. If you plan to develop in the direction of research in the future, there is no harm in learning more.

"This is what you said, I will remember this sentence," Dean Li said with a smile, and solemnly handed over the roster to Lu Zhou, "Then please!"

Not only the list was in place, but also an unused laboratory building.

This new laboratory building was originally intended to be used as a material mechanics laboratory to house newly purchased equipment such as dynamic mechanical analyzers, electronic tensile testing machines, and quartz crystal microbalances.

As a result, the building was completed, but the equipment was not in place yet, so Lu Zhou borrowed it.

After borrowing the experimental site, Lu Zhou then asked the academic staff to pack up an office for him as his temporary office.

These days, he basically stays in Jinda. I work in the school's laboratory, eat in the school's cafeteria, and live in a hotel near Jinda University.

Although he rented a house in the university town, it was too messy to live in, and it was too troublesome to clean it up, and the whole room still smelled of Xiao Ai's computer.

Even every time he called to ask the people from the computer store to help with hardware maintenance, the people from the computer store complained to him about how long the house hadn't been occupied.

For the Jinling Institute of Computing Materials, Lu Zhou even sent an email to his student and teaching assistant Vera, asking her to help him write an application for the academic affairs of Princeton University, and extended the vacation for half a month.

Although he doesn't care much about the professor's salary anymore, the professor's work can bring him research inspiration, and at the same time make him often reflect on whether those "obvious" problems are really as obvious as they seem.

In this regard, he and Mr. Fermi have the same views, and there is no conflict between learning and cultivating students.

At the same time, watching one's students grow into top scholars is also a very fulfilling thing in itself.

Fortunately, his number theory class didn't start until the end of February, and the interview for autumn admission could be conducted via video, which would not have any impact.

...

Once people are recruited, the next step is to arrange jobs for these people.

The interns can leave it alone for the time being, and wait for the project to officially start before making arrangements. However, in order not to delay the progress of the research, the recruitment of formal researchers must be arranged as soon as possible.

In the office of the laboratory building, Lu Zhou met Senior Brother Qian and Senior Brother Liu after a long absence.

As soon as we met, he asked the first sentence.

"Professor Li didn't scold me, did he?"

Liu Bo said with a helpless expression: "No, just kindly let us go."

Hearing this, Lu Zhou smiled a little embarrassedly.

It is also necessary to recruit people from Professor Li. The laboratory on the Silicon Valley side has just been prepared, and there is no way to send people by air. On Huaguo's side, among the people he knew, there were only two senior brothers who could ask him to.

Especially Qian Zhongming, although he is only a master, his professionalism in the field of materials science has undoubtedly reached the level of a doctor. Especially in research experience, he has participated in many research and development projects, even some doctors can't compare with him.

In fact, it is precisely for this reason that Professor Li thinks highly of him.

"Brother, please don't call me. I'm also here to learn art from a teacher. I'm afraid I'll have to call you master in the future." Probably because he didn't wear a white coat, Qian Zhongming made a rare joke.

"I don't dare to be a master. I also learned a lot from you. Let's learn from each other." Lu Zhou said with a smile.

Qian Zhongming shook his head, and said seriously: "The things I taught you are just superficial, you can learn from any teacher to do projects. But I can only ask you for advice on computing materials. I will not hesitate to teach you in the future."

Seeing Senior Brother Qian being so serious, Lu Zhou could only smile helplessly.

Clearing his throat, he changed the topic to business.

"This time our project is a key scientific research project in the national new energy development plan. To be more specific, it is to solve the shuttle effect in lithium-sulfur batteries. I believe you should have heard of it."

Senior Brother Qian nodded, expressing that he already understood the importance of this project: "How about it, do you have any ideas?"

"A little bit, but it's still very vague." Lu Zhou shook his head and continued, "But the problem we need to solve now is not this, but the instrument."

Qian Zhongming and Liu Bo both nodded at the same time.

Instruments are the key to all experiments, and no experiment can be done without equipment. Even if the model of the material is calculated by mathematical methods, the correctness of the theory must be tested through experiments in the end.

After a pause, Lu Zhou continued.

"I have already contacted Umicore, found their cooperative manufacturers, and ordered a batch of instruments. Although I asked Xingkong Technology to hire a few experts to go to Europe for inspection, I still need a trustworthy person to go there It only needs to be signed. Therefore, I can only trouble you to take a business trip to Europe on the first day of work."

"It's okay." Qian Zhongming smiled lightly and said, "Professor Li was also the one who bought the equipment in the past. You really can't be careless about such precious things. It's not just about the money, but also about whether the measured data is reliable."

Lu Zhou nodded and said, "Well, then I'll leave it to you."

Seeing that his senior brother had already made an arrangement, but he had no task yet, Liu Bo couldn't sit still, and raised his hand to ask.

"what about me?"

"For you, I hope you will go with Senior Brother Qian," Lu Zhou said with a smile looking at Senior Brother Liu who looked forward to it, "I don't feel at ease if he goes alone."