Department of Astronomy/KIAA Symposium for Undergraduate Students

Sponsored by Director Lin of KIAA (Kavli Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics), symposium for astronomy undergraduate students was successfully held on the afternoon of Sept. 19 in KIAA auditorium. Director Lin set up "Linbridge Fundation" to encourage undergraduates' participation in research, which provides the rewards for outstanding students in this symposium. The symposium is to encourage undergraduate students to be involved in scientific research, to touch the real astronomy, and "to bring you beyond your classroom" as Lin said. Jiansheng Chen, Academician of Chinese Science Academy, launched the symposium. Nearly all professors, researchers and postdocs attended the symposium too. In the simposium, 17 undergraduate students from Department of Astronomy, Physics School, Yuanpei School and Tsinghua University made 15 presentations, which covered a lot of hot topics in astronomy such as AGN, formation of high mass star, and extrasolar planet systems. The symposium also attracted more than 100 listeners, who put up with many significant questions and hot discussions. Before the tea break, professors also introduced their own research interests making it easy for new students to be involved in researches. After careful discussions among professors, D.Wang, T.Zhou, W.Ju, T.Zhang, N.Sun and M.Gong got the first prize. J.Shangguan. S.Kong. C.Liang. X. Zhou, G.Hao and M.Xiang got the second prize. At the end of the symposium, Director Lin made the closing address, encouraging students to do more thinking and talking and to realize the real beauty of astronomy. At the party to celebrate the National Day, the Moon Festival and to welcome the new students，the Dept. of Astronomy and KIAA, Profs. J.Chen and D. Lin awarded the Lin Bridge Prize to the winners. The symposium aims to provide a platform of communication and performance for the undergraduate students of astronomy, and encourage them especially the freshmen to join in research works. A similar symposium was held before May 4 this year, and will be hold one time per semester in future to create a fine culture of astronomy in Peking University.