Opportunities and challenges always coexist
By Shuting Chang （张树庭）
Emeritus Professor of Biology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Guests, Dear Relatives and Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen:
GOOD MORNING!
I had never thought of, or dreamed of being able to hold a symposium of this nature in Beijing. Especially a symposium organized for the celebration of my 80th birthday. You can never image now how deeply I am touched! At this juncture, I would like to thank Professor Li Yu, Mr. Liu Ziqiang and Mr. Chen Hui for their initiative, and for organizing this historic event. I also profoundly thank my wife and our children for their wholehearted support. Certainly, I also appreciate, very much indeed, the kindness and the honour all you here have shown, to come and to attend this symposium today.
First of all, I would like to give a short talk on the topic “Opportunities and challenges always coexist”. Then I will turn to SLIDES giving some background information on myself, and on my enthusiasm on mushrooms.
This is a very special day for me. From the Slide Show I may be able to share with you some of the episodes during my 50-year journey that enabled me to assimilate bioconversion technology of lignocellulosic wastes to produce mushrooms and dietary supplements. It is impossible for a person, in his life, to run or manage everything smoothly and successfully. There are bound to be some bumps on the road; there are bound to be moments of happiness; there will be days of worries, of successes, failures, gains, and losses, even in business. That was also true with me along my road, traveling five continents, teaching mushroom biology. In the process I learnt that if you persist in your faith, endure your efforts, and bravely face the challenges created by opportunities, you can open a new road, or establish a new career, with your own unique identity, through your continuous search and action.
We may ask: Who are you? Who am I? What positions have you held in society and in the community? Often, some of these are determined by interactions within our own heredity genes, which are already fixed by our parents, and by environmental factors which will be determined by our efforts in the schools, and in the society. These efforts are achieved by interplay between opportunity and challenge. I believe in the saying that “opportunity does not knock at your door; you must prepare yourself to recognize it and catch it when it passes, so that you too can benefit from it”.
On the issue of aspiration, you must think, talk and remind yourself of your aspiration. However, you must bring into your aspiration, enthusiasm and motivation. Enthusiasm is the yeast that makes your hope rise to the achievement. You must bring your enthusiasm into total commitment and action. It is the same that they said “knowledge is power”, actually, knowledge is not real power, unless until it is put into action. Therefore, commitment is towards meeting the opportunity, and the new challenge for your aspiration. And if you pursue the challenge persistently, purposefully, and patiently, you will get closer to where you wanted to be.
I believe in the power of sharing and cooperation. We should understand the power of the principle and inspiration of “learning and enquiring”, “talking and listening” “taking and giving”, “expecting to receive help from others, and learning to give help to others”. Don’t always expect to be admired/gloried in your own achievements. One should realize the importance of admiring/ glory in others’ achievements. We should generously share with others our vast experience in the field of mushroom biology and mushroom products. We should always share the new insights with other mushroom scientists, mushroom industrial and business men, and mushroom growers. We should strengthen teamwork spirit. In Africa, they say “a single tree alone cannot make a forest”. During the past 50 years of teaching, research, and administrative responsibilities, I have always been trying to keep teamwork as the rule, and the natural force of cohesion. We sweat together, and we celebrate together. It has been said that: “I learn from my master; I learn more from my peers. But the ones who taught me the most were my students”. I have been very lucky to have had distinguished masters and peers, and excellent students’. Our investigations on mushrooms range from the study of life cycle to the application of genetics and breeding, all directed toward the improvement of mushroom strains so as to use the lignocellulosic wastes more effectively. Also traced are attempts in recent decades to define what are “mushrooms”?, and to development new disciplines — “mushroom biology” replacing “mushroomology,” “mushroom products” distinguished from “mushroom production” and “nutriceutical” from “nutraceuticals.” By blending the advances in basic biological knowledge with that of practical technology, the mushroom-based industries can have positive global impact on long-term food nutrition, health care, environmental conservation and regeneration, and economic and social change. Therefore, the significant impact of mushroom biology and mushroom-related industries on human welfare has been named a “nongreen revolution” in 1999.
Any science or industry, just like building a house, does not start from the roof down. That would be a recipe for disaster. We need a foundation. The principle of mushroom biology is considered as the foundation of mushroom science and mushroom industry. Another experience I want to share with you is that science is built up of facts, just as a house is built of stones/bricks. With a strong foundation in mushroom biology, high quality mushroom production and mushroom products should follow. Mushroom science knowledge should be distinguished from religion, magic, faith, myths or anecdotal reports (social barriers). The modern scientific evaluation is now the key in mushroom industry. We should look at facts, not just faith and belief.
Finally, I should express my sincerest gratitude to the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where I spent 35 years of my teaching and research; to the various UN Agencies who supported many of my visits to other countries; and to various Governments and Institutes who invited me to visit their countries and to deliver lectures on mushroom biology and cultivation technology. Through those visiting opportunities, my potential inspirations, talents and energies, were enhanced and activated by which inspired me to accept the challenges that arose from opportunities. Eventually I had the courage initiate and establish a small branch of science named “Mushroom Biology” within the kingdom of mycology. I sincerely hope through the continuous concert efforts from young mushroom scientists and other young mushroomphilies (those who love and work mushrooms intimately) to nurture and develop this small branch into a healthy and giant branch or even an independent tree. This is the core theme of my talk today on “opportunities are always linked with challenges”. Thank you all for your kind attention.
Thursday, 30 September 2010
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