Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 1269 The Battle for Talent in the th Century (Second update, please subscribe)
Why don't we set up our own Nobel Prize?
Zhang Zheyuan's suggestion made Li Yian raise his eyebrows slightly.

In fact, Li Yian had really thought about this, a "our Nobel Prize", but the thought only flashed through his mind.

"We can do this, but what's the point? The selection of the Nobel Prize may be in the hands of European academics, but so what? Can they monopolize academia?"

Looking at Zhang Zheyuan, Li Yian asked back:

"It's easy to set up an award, but to turn an award into a world-famous brand requires not only money, but also time and efforts from all aspects."

Even the Soviet Union, which was obsessed with competing for various discourse powers, never thought of creating "our Nobel Prize" because there was absolutely no need.

Just like the Olympics, the Soviet Union always said that Western referees were unfair, but that didn't mean they had to create their own "Olympic Games". It's just an award, and it might involve some discourse power. If a big country were to host it, it would involve many problems. It might be more appropriate for a small country like Sweden to host it.

“Actually, I never cared about the Nobel Prize.”

Zhang Zheyuan was stunned by your words. If you don’t care, then why propose thirty Nobel Prizes?
“Perhaps what I care about is not the Nobel Prize itself, but another most critical and core issue – whether we can become the world’s scientific center!”

"World Science Center?"

Li Yian stood up and walked towards the window, staring at the starry sky, and slowly talked about the five "world science center transfers" around the world. In this era, this theory is extremely novel, but in another world, it is well known.

"… Germany became the world's scientific center in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The scientific progress during this period benefited from the reform of German universities and the innovation of the scientific research system, such as the creation of the "mentor system" and state-supported scientific research institutions. Then, the United States began to take over the position of the world's scientific center in the 20s, established this position after the war, and has maintained it to this day. The scientific progress during this period benefited from the United States' economic and industrial base, as well as the government's support for basic research."

Not only until now, but also in the next sixty years, or even longer, the United States will still maintain its position as the "world science center". It can be said that among the three "world science centers", the United States has maintained its position the longest. Even before Li Yian traveled through time, there was still no sign of decline in the scientific field. This even violates the cyclical theory of the transfer of the world's science center.

"This transfer can be seen through the Nobel Prize. Before World War II, only eight Americans won the Nobel Prize in Science, while Britain had 8 and Germany had 10. After World War II, the number of American winners suddenly increased significantly, which is a kind of weathervane."

While explaining the role of the Nobel Prize as a weather vane, Li Yian continued.

"From the five "transfers of the world's scientific center", we can see that a country's leading position in scientific and technological development can only be maintained for about 80 years. The first four transfers of scientific power have been verified. It is not difficult to speculate that the cycle is 4 years, which has a great correlation with the life span of the scientists themselves. This phenomenon is applicable at present."

In the 20th century, everything changed. First, this phenomenon was no longer valid. The United States became the world's scientific center in 1920, and according to the law, it should have lost its leading position at the end of the 20th century. At worst, if the starting point of the United States' scientific and technological prosperity is set at the end of World War II, then it is undoubtedly that it should have lost its momentum at this time.

However, this is not the case. Before Li Yian's time travel, American scientists were still frequent winners of the Nobel Prize in Science; after entering the 21st century, American scientists have won this honor every year. This phenomenon not only shows no signs of decline, but even maintains an absolute leading position in the creation of new disciplines and the invention of new technologies.

Although people of this era do not know this future, Li Yian knows it very well, he continued.

"Since the 20th century, academic exchanges have become increasingly frequent, especially now that transportation has become more advanced and inventions such as jet planes have allowed humans to enter the era of the global village. Academic exchanges will become more frequent, especially with the development of information, which will allow outstanding scholars to seek advice from well-known scholars for academic reasons. So are there any scholars better than Nobel Prize winners?"

Listening to your question, Zhang Zheyuan said:

"I understand. Your Excellency means to build a nest to attract the phoenix, right?"

Shaking his head, Li Yian said:
"Back then, we built nests to attract the phoenix, using a better environment to attract European scientists. Now, what we need is to use a series of Nobel Prize winners to attract young scholars from all over the world and let them take the initiative to come to Nanyang. They will study and research under the guidance of Nobel Prize winners, and this will inevitably break the "80-year cycle of the transfer of the world's scientific center."

When Li Yian mentioned this situation, his brows furrowed, because this is exactly the challenge he has to face. It is not just a challenge, in fact, it is an unprecedentedly fierce battle for talent that even determines the fate and future of the country!

"This is also the fundamental reason why the United States will maintain its leading position in the scientific field for a long time to come. After the war, it attracted a large number of European scientists with a better academic environment. After they won the Nobel Prize, they became the benchmark for young scholars from all over the world to learn from. Among these scholars, a considerable number will be attracted by the academic environment in the United States and eventually stay in the United States. Then what?"

"Then the United States will always remain the 'world's scientific center.'"

After answering, Zhang Zheyuan said as if he had suddenly realized something:
“So, Your Excellency, you mentioned that you want to win 30 Nobel Prizes. What we need is not the Nobel Prize itself, but to use 30 Nobel Prize winners to attract young talents from all over the world, so as to ensure that Nanyang will not fall behind the United States in this battle for talent.”

“Not backward!”

Li Yian shook his head and said:
"It is related to the future of Nanyang. Once we fall behind the United States in this battle for talent, we are doomed to become the loser in future competition. In the 21st century... it is talent that determines the future of a country! And the role of the Nobel Prize lies in this - it is a weather vane that determines the outcome of this battle!" Then, Li Yian fell silent. After a moment, he said:
"Now, we can establish our own Nobel Prize, but when we focus our energy on this illusory so-called 'academic monopoly', we have actually lost the battle, because the most important thing is the talent itself, not the false reputation."

Most of the time, people are always unable to get rid of the pursuit of false fame. Can setting up an award that surpasses the Nobel Prize break the Nobel Prize's monopoly on academic discourse?

No, because the so-called "academic discourse power" is a false proposition in itself! The so-called "academic monopoly" because they have the award is just the imagination of some people.

Especially between countries.

Just like the Soviet scientists who won the Nobel Prize in Physics last year, would the Soviet officials think that those physicists were trash because they did not win the Nobel Prize in Physics? Would they think that their inventions had no value?

Of course not!
Those who monopolize academia are always the scientific giants of their own country. As for the Nobel Prize, it is just an award.

"I understand!"

Zhang Zheyuan quickly bowed his head and said:
"My thoughts are so superficial!"

Zhang Zheyuan finally understood the Excellency's intention, and realized that his previous suggestions were not only superficial, but also short-sighted.

"But now the Nobel Prize selection is controlled by the Swedes. Will their suppression of us affect our efforts to attract talent from around the world?"

In response to Zhang Zheyuan's worries, Li Yian just laughed.

"The Nobel Prize has never had the so-called 'academic discourse power'. It can suppress the timing of awarding prizes, but it cannot stop these groundbreaking studies from causing a sensation in the academic community. If a scholar cannot even distinguish the importance of some academic theories with such basic common sense, then how can he be considered a talent?"

This is a very simple problem in itself if a scholar cannot make an accurate judgment even on issues within the academic scope of his interest.

Such talents cannot be called talents at all.

But a fool!

Does Nanyang need such people?

"Most of the time, the Nobel Prize serves as the icing on the cake. It is just a tool for us to attract talents. Since European and American scholars now regard the Nobel Prize as the highest award, what we need is to attract their talents within the scope of their recognition and use what they consider to be the highest standards. This is the most important thing."

As for the rest, it doesn't matter at all.

"The most important issue is to win the battle for talent and lay a solid foundation for the next step of the transfer of the 'world science center'."

When is his next transfer?
It may be at the arrival of the new century, and this is also the fundamental reason why Li Yian proposed to win 30 Nobel Prizes.

These 30 Nobel Prizes are the hallmark of a global talent recruitment strategy. Only with these top scholars can we attract more young scholars to Nanyang.

After all, no young student would choose to study and conduct academic research in countries like Africa, Arabia, and India!

Is the Nobel Prize important?
The Nobel Prize itself is not important at all. What is important is that the Nobel Prize can attract young scholars to Nanyang, thus ensuring that Nanyang will always be invincible in the future scientific and technological competition between countries.

At least, Nanyang will not lag behind the United States in attracting talent. After all, the talents cultivated by Nanyang itself alone may not necessarily enable Nanyang to always maintain a leading position in future competition.

Therefore, Nanyang needs intellectual resources from all over the world to supplement the local resources and finally gather talents from all over the world. This is the fundamental reason why Nanyang needs the Nobel Prize.

(End of this chapter)