Failure –
The Essential Stage to Becoming
an Outstanding Scientist:
Henry Tye
A
piece of inspiring and enlightening wisdom
imparted to me by Prof. Henry Tye, Director of HKUST
Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study (IAS). His
heartfelt enthusiasm and optimism in the promotion
of scientific research in Hong Kong and Asia was
apparent throughout the interview.
Prof. Henry Tye was born in Shanghai, raised in
Hong Kong, and completed his secondary school
studies in La Salle College. He developed a keen
interest in physics in secondary school, and decided
to further his studies in physics after graduation.
During this period, Hong Kong was still a British
colony and he felt that the social development of
Hong Kong was hindered. Subsequently, he went
on to obtain a bachelor’s degree in science from
the California Institute of Technology in 1970, and
received his PhD in Physics from the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology(MIT) in 1974. Before joining
HKUST as the Director of IAS in 2011, he held the
position of Horace White Professor of Physics at
Cornell University since 1987. His research interest
includes theoretical particle physics, string theory
and cosmology.
Modeled on the international ly renowned
Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, the
IAS was founded in 2005 by the former president
of HKUST, Prof. Paul Chu. The mission of IAS is to
promote scientific research in HKUST, Hong Kong
and Asia, and become a premier research center.
Currently, there are four directions of development:
recruiting international outstanding scientists to
lead research teams; promoting interdisciplinary
collaboration of local, national and international
resea rche r s; ho l d i ng d i s t i ngu i shed l ectu res ,
workshops, programs and conferences regularly,
and in-depth study of specific research topics.
When it comes to the current status and future
prospects of scientific research in Hong Kong, Prof.
By Kwan Shu Tse
謝鈞澍
Tye unabashedly admits that government funding
is inadequate. Singapore, for instance, dedicates
much higher GDP per capita to research funding
when compared with Hong Kong. While the three
economic pillars in Hong Kong, finance, logistics
and tourism, are easily influenced by external
factors, scientific research is less so, making it a safe
avenue for government resource investment. Hong
Kong’s relatively conservative society may also be
a factor that contributes to the lack of adventurous
spirit in research.
Prof. Tye believes that this dearth in enthusiasm
may also suppress students’ passion toward and
scientific research, with the stigmatism that a career
path in research may be unfruitful or uncertain.
The negative opinion associated with scientific
research is largely untrue, because as with any
career path, success does not come easily and the
ability to face hardships and failures are essential
qualities. Prof. Tye advocates that possessing and
maintaining a positive attitude can be developed
through experience. That is not to say that failure
should be embraced. A successful researcher,
as much as possible, should weigh out all the
factors that may affect project completion before
mak i ng a go or no - go deci s ion. However, a
professional decision can only be made when one
possesses strong observation skills, creativity and a
broadened horizon, none of which are acquirable
alone through books or lessons. “You can search
the web if you don’t know the materials written
on the books, but critical thinking and analytical
power can only be cultivated through experience.”
It is vital to maintain a positive and healthy attitude
towards failure.
The most important quality of
success is the ability to face failure
courageously and learn from it.
If there were companies
willing to support Charles Kao
in the research on optical
fiber, Hong Kong may have
been dubbed the original
birth place of optical fibre.
