Bei Shizhang and the Establishment of the First Department of Biophysics in China

Abstract

Bei Shizhang is known as a biologist in China. After returning from study abroad, he overrode all objections, established the Institute of Biophysics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in July 1958 and strongly advocated for the establishment of the Department of Biophysics at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in September 1958. He planned and prepared for the establishment of the department from the very beginning. In determining various operational aspects, such as enrolment planning, teacher arrangements, teaching plans and teaching objectives, he endeavoured to change the traditional model of biology education by focusing on the basic knowledge of physics and chemistry and emphasizing the concept that education was in the service of the political and military needs of the country. With these principles, he trained a large number of outstanding talents in the field of biophysics. Using material from the USTC archives and from recorded interviews, this paper describes the process of establishing the Department of Biophysics at USTC and the important role played by Bei Shizhang.