创办中以高等研究院：一个消逝的行动？

湘潭大学向开南

          2021年7月30日

Part 0. 题记

     我深知，在学术圈自己是一个卑微不如尘埃的草根人物，无力在这个浩荡前行的伟大时代做一件不是过往云烟的事情。自不量力且认真的是，我曾试图推动创办中以高等研究院和一个中以数学英才班。此长博文记载了我曾经的行动。

Part I．创办中以高等研究院：2019.3-2020.7的行动

2019年3月开始，我就琢磨如何开展中以数学合作和如何给以色列驻华大使及文化、科学和学术事务负责人写信。2019年3月23日，我在上海纽约大学与犹太数学家朋友Vladas Sidoravicius（纽约大学Courant数学研究所教授、上海纽约大学数学负责人，ICM2014邀请报告者，在Ann. Math.、Invent. Math.等上发表论文）详细地讨论了中以数学合作，他强烈支持我的想法；令人痛苦的是2019年5月23日他突然离世，年仅55岁。2019年5月5日，我给自己的博士后导师Robert J. Adler（以色列工学院教授，国际概率名家）写信，谈及中以数学合作，他于5月10日回道，很喜欢我的项目，但遗憾的是他已退休。7月27日，我给10多位以色列数学家写了主题为

               Important: Email from Chinese mathematician Kainan Xiang

的邮件，在1个月之内，总共收到了7位以色列数学家的回复：5位来自希伯来大学，全是以色列科学与人文院院士，含诺贝尔经济学奖得主Robert John Aumann和菲尔兹奖得主Elon Lindenstrauss。另2位是以色列魏兹曼科学研究所数学系的前负责人和现任负责人。他们有的明确支持，有的有些疑虑且在犹豫；但有一点很明确，那就是中以数学合作是十分有价值的，值得做。这些邮件已有足够的份量供我给以色列大使寄信。2019年10月8日，我用EMS给以色列驻华大使及文化、科学和学术事务负责人寄了我的信件（此信件我翻来覆去写了7个多月，不计小改，大改了5次），10月10日下午以色列驻华使馆签收了我的信件。

2019年10月14日，我给以色列2019年7、8月份回我邮件的7位数学家通报了前述情况；此外，我还将前述情况告知了两位我认识的美国纽约大学Courant数学研究所的前所长Charles M. Newman（犹太人，美国科学院院士、美国艺术与科学院院士）、Gerard Ben Arous（犹太人，美国科学院院士、美国艺术与科学院院士，1957年6月26日生，2016.12.31卸任所长职位，ICM2002邀请报告者，善于培养博士。其学生Alice Guionnet（1969年生）在数学四大杂志发有多篇论文，ICM2022大会报告者、ICM2006邀请报告者，2009年获Loeve Prize；其另一个学生Ivan Corwin 2011年博士毕业，ICM2014邀请报告者，ICM2014和ICM2018的Fields奖候选人）以及以色列特拉维夫大学的3位教授（2位以色列科学与人文院院士Noga Alon、Yoav Benjamini，数学学院负责人Michael Krivelevich），希望他们支持且帮助中以数学合作，以谱写中以外交新篇章。2019年10月14日，我收到了Charles M. Newman的回信。2019年10月15日，我收到了Noga Alon和Michael Krivelevich（ICM2014邀请报告者）的强有力的支持。Noga Alon除在特拉维夫大学工作外，亦在普林斯顿高等研究院工作，1956年2月17日生，概率组合和随机图国际领袖，ICM2002大会报告者、ICM1990邀请报告者，1997年当选以色列科学与人文院院士，获G. Polya奖、K. Godel奖等9项国际国内大奖。

10月23日我收到了以色列科学与人文院院士Alex Lubotzky（1956年6月28日出生，以色列Hebrew（希伯来）大学数学教授，研究群论、李群、表示论、离散数学、数论等，2014年当选以色列科学与人文院院士，在Ann. Math.上发表4篇论文、Acta Math.上发表2篇论文、J. Amer. Math. Soc.上发表4篇论文、Invent. Math.上发表4篇论文、Pub. IHES.上发表1篇论文、Bull. Amer. Math. Soc.上发表4篇特邀综述论文、在PNAS（美国科学院院刊）上发表2篇论文；获Erdos Prize、The Rothschild Prize、Israel Prize in Mathematics and Computer Science等；是ICM1994 45分钟邀请报告者、ICM2018一小时大会报告者）如下的回信：“Thank you for updating me. Keep me informed when you will get an answer from them. I assume, they will want to know if you have the resources to establish such an Institution. It will be a very expensive project. I do not believe the government of Israel will contribute money for the project. Though you may get some advice and help from experienced Israelis.  All the best and good luck, Alex”。

10月27日我回Alex Lubotzky:“Dear Alex, Yes, to establish such an Institution, it will be a very expensive and time-consuming project. No matter what kind of difficulties we encounter in the future, we will fight for it. When I receive an answwer from Israel Embassy in Beijing, I will write to you immediately. On October 14, I told Noga Alon and Michael Krivelevich that I wrote to Israel Embassy in Beijing and was waiting for an answer from Israel Embassy in Beijing. On Ocoter 15, Noga Alon answered me "Dear Prof. Kainan Xiang, thanks for your message, I moved to Princeton, but still spend time in Tel Aviv too, and I am happy to hear about this important initiative, sincerely, Noga Alon".  And also on the same day,  Michael Krivelevich answered me "Dear Xiang, Thank you for your message, and for advancing this initiative. It would of course be great to strengthen scientific ties between the mathematicians of our two countries, or even better yet – to establish some permanent framework of cooperation. For this I believe you need to secure the institutional/national backing and approval first – which I hope you’ll be able to obtain. With truly best wishes, Michael Krivelevich". For us, what we can do immediately is as follows: (1) To hold a mathematical sciencence conference between Israel and China in Xiangtan University in next year. (2) To establish a China-Israel Mathematical Talent Class in Xiangtan University with the help from mathematicians of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, The Weizmann Institute of Science and Tel Aviv University. (3) If possible, would you like to visit Xiangtan University in near future to discuss some related things. Best Wishes!”

2019年11月初，决定写第二封信件给以色列驻北京使馆。告知以色列大使，这是一个开启中以外交新篇章的历史性机遇，湘潭大学不容错过，以色列亦不容错过，这个机遇稍纵即逝。此外亦告知以色列大使，我、诸多以色列数学家和湘潭大学都在等以色列使馆的回复。若可能，希望以色列大使馆能安排一次湘潭大学访问以色列大学、研究机构的机会。写给以色列大使的信件于2019年11月18日寄出，以色列驻北京使馆于2019年11月21日接收。2019年11月24日，我告知了以色列希伯来大学、魏兹曼研究所及特拉维夫大学的10位数学家寄第二封信给以色列驻北京使馆的事情，且恳请其中的一些数学家帮忙安排邀请湘潭大学的校领导、数学学院的院领导及若干数学教授组团访问前述3个机构，以便和以色列的数学家、大学及研究机构商谈中以数学合作事宜。

2019年12月17日上午11:36，我在湘大南苑食堂二楼吃饭，接到了以色列驻北京大使馆1位女士打来的持续了6分钟的中文电话；她确认了一些事情且问了我几个相关问题。随后，我把此事转告给湘大的几位相关老师。

  之后遇到了2020年1月开始的新冠疫情。我分别于2020年1月8日、7月18日寄出写给以色列驻北京使馆的第三、四封信件，此两封信件分别于2020年1月10日、7月22日被签收。2021年2月，以色列新的驻华大使赴任。

Part II．2019年10月8日写给以色列驻华大使的信件节选

Dear respected （略去名字、称呼），

I have been hesitating to write this letter for a long time. Because I am a stranger for you two and the aim of the letter is as follows: Pushed by the Israeli Embassy in China and Xiangtan University, with the help of Israeli universities and Israeli mathematicians (even Jewish mathematicians from all over the world), we hope to establish a world-class joint mathematical institution (China-Israel Institute for Advanced Study) and a joint mathematics talent class for undergraduates (China-Israel Mathematics Talent Class) in Xiangtan University (湘潭大学) supported by the government of Hunan Province or the government of China. 

  （略去5行）The mentioned institution is similar to Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) in Princeton University, and Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientifiques (IHES) in France, but it has its own features. At present China does not have this type of mathematics institution. To do these things is beneficial not only to China-Israel higher education, science and culture exchanges and cooperation, but also to Israeli strategic diplomacy.

（I）Self-Introduction（略）

（II）A short introduction on Xiangtan University

（略去5段）

 Of course, Xiangtan University still has many places to be improved and upgraded. Hope, with the help of Israel, this university can improve and upgrade these places greatly. Note this is the value of higher education cooperation between China and Israel.

（III） Why does China need a real world-class mathematics institution?

China is short of a truly top mathematical institution in the world, and China has the capacity and the money to build such an institution. Hunan Province dares to be the first in the world, and introduces vigorously international intelligence, and is the ideal place to build a top mathematical institution in the world. Note the first level of mathematics institutions in mainland China are located in North China (Beijing, Tianjin), East China (Shanghai); and there is no a mathematical institution with the same level in other parts of mainland China. Additionally, frankly speaking, at present, there is no a mathematical unit in China which is better than IMPA, Brazil. From the viewpoint of Chinese mathematics strategy development, it is necessary to build a real world-class mathematical institution in Hunan Province (central south China). Such an institution attaches importance to both applied mathematics and pure mathematics, and mathematical physics.

One possible form of such an institute is a joint institute: China-Israel Institute for Advanced Study. The mentioned institution is similar to Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) in Princeton University, and Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientifiques (IHES) in France, but it has its own features. At present China does not have this type of mathematics institution. Such an institution will be run and managed in full accordance with international academic mechanisms.

   Additionally, in order to attract high quality undergraduate students, it is very natural and important to consider setting up an international mathematics talent class, say China-Israel Mathematics Talent Class, in Xiangtan University, to recruit mathematics talents from China. Such a class will train students according to the highest standards of mathematics major in Israeli universities, and many key courses will be taught in English by Israeli mathematicians.

（IV） Why do we need Jewish mathematicians' help?

From the history and development of Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) in Princeton University, and Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientifiques (IHES) in France, and Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and so on, without Jewish mathematicians' great contributions, these mathematics institutions would not have been so successful as they are today.

   As far as I know, for my major--probability theory, N. Wiener, P. Levy, E. B. Dynkin, J. Doob, H. Kesten, O. Schramm and W. Werner are all the Jew. The Jew always locates in the central part of probability research. And many great Jewish mathematicians (G. Cantor, J. von Neumann, A. Grothendieck, M. Gromov and G. Perelman etc.) had/have contributed so much to mathematics; and 25% of Fields Medalists, 37% of Wolf Prize recipients and 30% Abel Prize winners are Jews (Note Jewish population is only around 0.23% of the world's population).

  In order to set up the mentioned world-class mathematical institution, we hope that there are great mathematicians such as the Wolf Prize Winners and Fields Medalists and so on to join the institution. Particularly we need your and many Jewish mathematicians’ great help.

  With the rapid development of Chinese economy and increased investment in higher education and scientific research, we hope the institution can be a warm home not only for Chinese mathematicians and Jewish mathematicians, but also for all mathematicians in the world.      

（V）Why will such cooperation benefit Israeli strategic diplomacy?

（略去6行多）But to make Xiangtan University run better and more distinctive, we need a powerful and advanced long-term international cooperation on higher education, science and culture with a foreign country (Israel is our best choice).

There is no doubt that China will become the most powerful country in some aspects (including economics) in the world, and will have more and more discourse powers on the international stage. Compared with Chinese universities and research institutions, those of Israel are small, very fine and very strong. Additionally Israel has many outstanding mathematicians (scientists) and there are many world leading Jewish mathematicians (scientists) around the world. These are strategic diplomatic resources for Israel when dealing with international cooperation on higher education, science and culture with a foreign country, particularly China.

  A powerful and advanced long-term international cooperation on higher education, science and culture between Israel and Xiangtan University can be omni-directional, multi-level and wide-ranging, and is not limited to mathematics. Due to very special political status of Xiangtan City and Xiangtan University, and very special respect for Chairman Mao Zedong of all Chinese people and Leaders of China, such a cooperation will transcend purely educational, scientific, and cultural cooperation and thus have strategic political and diplomatic significance. Moreover, Israel can also have a mutually beneficial economic cooperation with Xiangtan City and the whole hunan Province.

In some sense, if Israel wants to achieve the effect of strategic diplomacy through exchanges and cooperation with a Chinese university in higher education, science and culture, Xiangtan University should be the only option.

（VI）Emails with Israeli mathematicians

  On July 27, 2019, I wrote to ten more Israeli mathematicians with the subject “Important: Email from Chinese mathematician Kainan Xiang”. I received seven Israeli mathematicians’ responses in a month: Five from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, all members of The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities (Alex Lubotzky, Uri Bader) are former and current heads of mathematics at the Weizmann Institute of Science. They have clear support, some hesitations; but one thing is clear, that is, the cooperation between China and Israel in mathematics is very valuable and worth doing.

On August 3, 2019, Alex Lubotzky answered that “Thank you for your email. To have such an Institute will be really great. but how can we help from israel to set it?   Yours,  Alex”.

On August 7, 2019, Sergiu Hart answered that “Dear Professor Kainan Xiang -- Thank you for your email.  Your initiative is of definite interest, however you need the support of mathematicians that know you and Xiangtan University. Wishing you all the best with your endeavor.”

On July 29, 2019, Ehud Hrushovski wrote that “Unfortunately I am no longer at the Hebrew University.  But I wish you best success with your endeavor!”

  Omri Sarig, the former head of mathematics at the Weizmann Institute of Science, and Uri Bader, the current head of mathematics at the Weizmann Institute of Science, are very clear supporters.

Robert John Aumann’s attitude depends on Elon Lindenstrauss’ attitude, see his last email to me (I did not reply this email to Aumann, because I have not officially written to you two, when starting the formal cooperation, I will persuade him to support the cooperation).

On August 21, 2019, Elon Lindenstrauss answered that

“Dear Prof. Xiang, Thank you for your letter. I am trying to the extent I can not to undertake any administrative responsibilities. I do not not know well the academic landscape in China which is certainly a prerequisite before I get involved in any such initiative, and therefore I am afraid I cannot help you. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavour. Sincerely, E. Lindenstrauss.”

He had hardly dealt with mathematicians in mainland China. So his reaction is natural. On August 24, 2019, I replied to his email:

“Dear Professor Elon Lindenstrauss, Thank your email very much. In order to make the construction of China-Israel Institute for Advanced Study very successful, we will draw lessons from the advantages of Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton University, and Institut des Hautes Etudes Scientifiques (IHES)  in France, and integrate the essence of Chinese culture and Jewish culture into the operation of the Institute according to the international academic mechanism. And we hope in future that you can support strongly and help greatly China-Israel Institute for Advanced Study. We will communicate updated information and a more and more detailed plan with you in a timely manner. ”

After writing to you two and when launching officially the cooperation, I will persuade Elon Lindenstrauss to support and participate in the cooperation between China and Israel.

For more details, please refer to the attachment.

（VII）We are looking forward to your visit to Xiangtan University

（略去近两行）We warmly welcome and look forward to your visit to Xiangtan University in due course in order to explore and initiate new cooperation in higher education, science and culture, and to write a new chapter in diplomacy between Israel and China.

We sincerely look forward to establishing a world-class joint mathematical institution (China-Israel Institute for Advanced Study) and a joint mathematics talent class for undergraduates (China-Israel Mathematics Talent Class) in Xiangtan University with the help of Israeli universities, research institutions, mathematicians and even Jewish mathematicians around the world.

  Notice that this is a personal letter. We are looking forward to hearing from you soon. Then Xiangtan University will officially contact you in time to begin cooperation.

Yours Sincerely,

                                 Kainan Xiang（向开南）

Kainan Xiang

Part III. 后记

  在未来岁月中，我希望你不时遭遇不公待遇，唯有如此你才能懂得公正的价值。我希望你遭受背叛，唯有如此你才能领悟忠诚的重要。抱歉，我希望你时常感到孤独，唯有如此你才不会将良朋挚友视为理所当然。希望你偶尔运气不佳，唯有如此你才能意识到机遇的难得，理解自己的成功并不完全是应当的，而别人的失败也不完全是命中注定的。当你失败的时候，希望你不时遭遇对手的冷嘲热讽，唯有如此你才能理解良好的竞争风度是多么重要。我希望你被忽视，唯有如此你才能知道倾听他人的重要性。我希望你承受痛苦，唯有如此你才能让你学会感同身受。无论我怎么想，这些迟早会降临在每个人身上。而你能否从中获益，取决于能否参透人生苦难传递的信息。

                     John Glover Roberts (1955年1月27日－  ，美国首席大法官)

  2017年6月初在新罕布什尔州的卡迪根山中学（Cardigan

  Mountain School）其儿子初中毕业典礼上的致词节选

原文：

   From time to time in the years to come, I hope you will be treated unfairly, so that you will come to know the value of justice.

    I hope that you will suffer betrayal because that will teach you the importance of loyalty.

    Sorry to say, but I hope you will be lonely from time to time so that you don’t take friends for granted.

   I wish you bad luck, again, from time to time so that you will be conscious of the role of chance in life and understand that your success is not completely deserved and that the failure of others is not completely deserved either.

    And when you lose, as you will from time to time, I hope every now and then, your opponent will gloat over your failure. It is a way for you to understand the importance of sportsmanship.

    I hope you’ll be ignored so you know the importance of listening to others, and I hope you will have just enough pain to learn compassion.

    Whether I wish these things or not, they’re going to happen. And whether you benefit from them or not will depend upon your ability to see the message in your misfortunes.