The Jingye Square of Nankai University stands a statue made of white jade of Han Dynasty, a scholar sitting regularly with a book in his left hand, and gazing into the place ahead through his glasses. He is the first president of Nankai University after the foundation of the People’s Republic of China. As one of the veterans of Nankai, Yang Shixian has been working for over 60 years in the education field, which makes him a president with the longest term in office and highest prestige since Zhang Boling; he is the famous educator and chemist, the founder and pioneer of agricultural chemistry and organic chemistry in China. Marshal Nie Rongzhen valued him as“the example of the scholar and the model for others”. Eminent scholar Liu Wuji praised him as “ a pure scholar and honest nobleman.”

The Sculpture of Yang Shixian

Yang Shixian (1897-1985), with Shaozeng as his given name, Shixian the style name, he has been holding the aspiration of saving the country through education since youth. In 1923, he returned from overseas study and taught at Nankai.

He cooperated with Professor Qiu Zongyue in establishing the College of Chemistry and prepared for the labs, shouldered all teaching tasks of the university. Yang Shixian gave emphasis on the fundamental theory and experiment skills.

In spite of the difficult situation in fund, instrument and medicine, he still set the chemistry experiment as the main curriculum of students of the College of Chemistry. Under the advocacy and self-demonstration of Professor Qiu Zongyue, the College of Chemistry of Nankai University formed the tradition of paying high attention to the basic exercises of students.

In 1929, Yang Shixian got the funds of further study at overseas. After obtaining the Doctoral Degree in Chemistry of Yale University in 1931, he continued his teaching in Nankai University and served as Dean of the College of Science. At the end of July, 1937, Japanese armies at Tianjin attacked Nankai University with cannon. Yang Shixian, Huang Yusheng and others organized faculties and students to withdraw urgently, transfer some books and instruments, and risked their lives to leave until armies holding bombards to the university. All Yang wore was a set of single shirt and a camera before he left. At the moment of witnessing efforts over ten years destroyed for a moment, Yang Shixian determined to rebuild Nankai in grief and indignation.

A Group Photo of Yang Shixian and Nankai colleagues at the National Southwest Associated University at Kunming in 1938

(The third is Yang Shixian, the first is Chen Xujing, the second is Fang Xianting and the fourth is 

Li Zhuomin from left) 

In April, 1938, Nankai University, Peking University and Tsinghua University formed National Southwest Associated University.

Yang Shixian was respected and trusted by faculties and his students because of his wide knowledge, rigorous teaching, honest personality and fairness in dealing with matters. He was appointed as Director of the Department of Chemistry in College of Science and the College of Physics and Chemistry in Normal College, and the concurrent post of Dean of National Southwest Associated University in 1943. During the difficult times at the university, Yang Shixian committed himself into the teaching and took the lead in teaching basic curriculum while in charge of busy administrative work. At that time, the College of Science and the College of Engineering were built at different places and 5 kilometers away from each other without any transportation tools. Yang walked to the college for teaching twice a week without complaint. He was never late or overdue the course and played a good example for faculties. Yang gave special emphasis on the growth of young students, and had always been patient in guiding them in solving puzzles along the path of study; he also tried to help them for the difficulties in life. He not only got an outstanding achievement in the research of organic chemistry, but taught by words and influenced by deeds, found talents and cultivated a bunch of famous scholars and professors such as Tang Aoqing, Chen Tianchi, He Binglin, Chen Ruyu, Shen Panwen and Wang Jitao.

After the victory of Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Yang Shixian was sent to the United States the third time by Nankai University as a visiting scholar and researcher at Indiana University and did research in pharmaceutical Chemistry. He was elected as the honorable member of the American Chemical Society due to his fabulous work. In 1947, Yang refused the repeated invitations of friends and American colleagues, gave up the superior research and living condition, returned to China without hesitation, served as Dean and president of Nankai University, hosted university affairs and stuck to teaching among difficult national circumstances. He employed a bunch of talents in subjects including Chemistry, Physics and Biology to Nankai, which created a condition for the renovation of the university. Before the liberation war, Yang refused the air ticket to the South of Rescuing Professors to the South Plan from Kuomintang, together with people including Huang Yusheng, and the faculties, students in protecting the university among hardships and finally waited the liberation of Tianjin.

After the foundation of the People’s Republic of China, Yang has been the main founder of Nankai University through the succession of the President of the Council of Nankai University, the president and the honorable president. Under the concern of Premier Zhou Enlai, he has been improved in thought and joined the Communist Party of China in 1960. Yang Shixian paid the main attention to the scientific research according to the guidance of Premier Zhou. Through a long-term observation of the international pesticide, he chose the orientation of organic pesticide, answered the call of Premier Zhou, accepted the task of doing research in pesticide at the meeting of the first Twelfth Scientific Development Program in 1956, then organized Chen Ruyu, Chen Tianchi and others to begin the research.

In 1958, Yang led the faculties and students of the College of Chemistry to build two pesticide workshops of trichlorphon and malathion. Chairman Mao gave a high praise to them during the inspection. In 1962, commissioned by Premier Zhou, he officially set the first Chemistry research institute of Chinese higher education—— Element Institute of Organic Chemistry of Nankai University as the first Chief, and continued his research in many fields like organic phosphorus, Fluorohydrocarbon, silicone, organic boron and metal, which pioneered the Chemistry field in China, developed various pesticides such as monocrotophos, chloromethiuron, Anti - rust No.1 and herbicide No.1, all of them contributed a lot to the development of the pesticide cause.

In 1958 Chairman Mao heard the report of Yang Shixian at the pesticide workshop of Nankai

University while inspection

(The first is Yang Shixian from left)

Yang Shixian was impacted during the Cultural Revolution, however he had a sense of justice and was selfless and fearless. For the imposed criticize and contend to him, he endured and took them all; for the danger of dismantling the workshop of element institute, he immediately struggled for it and left a scientific research team for the institute. In 1979, over eighty year- old Yang Shixian was appointed as the President of Nankai University, and took charge of managing and reorganizing the university, cultivating talents. He put the building of faculties as the priority, mainly called on the advanced studies of researchers, actively advocated the breaking of closed system of the university and carried out international exchanges among universities. Therefore, he spared no efforts to deal with international e-mails, received foreign visitors and faculties and students who were going overseas by himself. To build a better Nankai, he almost had little rest and often worked for several hours in a row. In 1980, he resigned the position and engaged himself in the development of the element institute and the cultivation of postgraduates.

In 1929, Yang Shixian got the funds of further study at overseas. After obtaining the Doctoral Degree in Chemistry of Yale University in 1931, he continued his teaching in Nankai University and served as Dean of the College of Science. At the end of July, 1937, Japanese armies at Tianjin attacked Nankai University with cannon. Yang Shixian, Huang Yusheng and others organized faculties and students to withdraw urgently, transfer some books and instruments, and risked their lives to leave until armies holding bombards to the university. All Yang wore was a set of single shirt and a camera before he left. At the moment of witnessing efforts over ten years destroyed for a moment, Yang Shixian determined to rebuild Nankai in grief and indignation.

To memorize Yang Shixian for his contribution to Nankai and education career, Nankai University built a sculpture in respect at the centenary anniversary of his birth. The Sculpture is 2.95 meters high, designed by Professor Guo Jiarui, from Central Academy of Fine Arts, funded by relevant groups on and off campus as well as students of Professor Yang. To inherit and carry forward the spirit of Yang Shixian, develop the Chemistry in Nankai, the University officially started the Initiative of Yang Shixian Lecture in 2005, and invited leading figures in Chemistry as professors of the lecture. In 2009, Nankai University set the Yang Shixian Class, which is regarded as the highest group honour for students majored in Chemistry.