The WINE conference started today, after a day’s tutorial we had a reception - on a yacht on Pudong river, around the Bund. It is by far the fanciest academic event I’ve ever attended. Salute to the organization comittee!
Here’s a really impressive occasion I’ve witnessed tonight. Herve Moulin is scheduled on giving the opening keynote talk tmrw morning, and he was on the yacht tonight as well. He was alone for sometime so I went for some casual chatting with this charmingly witted scholar. Then, a student (possibly young phd or undergrad) approached Herve and started to introducing himself and was like “I have been following your work on for pretty long time, read most of your paper in this field blah blah blah and can we talk about it…”
I wasn’t even annoyed by him interrupting. This young student was that kind of socially-awkward Chinese student who is not very good at English and expressing himself, and he even has to be “backed-up” by his friends so as to pick up the courage to start talking to him. But authenticity cannot be faked, his passion is pure and true.
I wish that one day I’ll have the chance to, say, meet the scholar whose job I adore at a conference, excitedly going up and say the same thing, moreover even better, like “hey professor, your work is so cool. I did a follow-up and it’s tomorrow… btw, I’m your biggest fan!”