Twenty years of cold chain

Chapter 21 An Outstanding Paper

In March of this year, mad cow disease ravaged Europe.

my country's substantive negotiations for accession to the WTO have reached the final stage, which brings new challenges to quarantine. Strict controls and the formulation of technical standards have become urgent priorities, and this also serves as a warning for the transportation of live poultry and livestock.

"Professor, according to the itinerary, your trip to Europe will last at least a month and a half." Pang Shiyou's assistant, Xiao Wu, stood in front of Pang Shiyou with a folder in hand.

"How did the dissertation defense committee arrange it?"

"The thesis defense will begin on June 20th and last for 20 days. It will start with the major food science specialties, and the cold chain transportation specialties will be last, starting on July 8th and lasting for three days."

"Will I be able to make it back in time for July 8th?"

"You won't be back until the 15th at the earliest."

"Xiao Wu, could you perhaps talk to the dissertation committee and postpone the defense for the refrigeration engineering major by a week? I'd like to speak with the first graduating class in person."

"It should be fine. You're also a member of the dissertation committee. It's just that the trip to Europe is urgent, so I'll go and make some arrangements."

"By the way, have all the students submitted their graduation theses?"

"The deadline for the paper is June 1st. I checked yesterday and found that only one paper is missing from the entire department; the rest have already been submitted."

"Are all the cold chain items ready?"

"The one that's missing is the one that's been cold-shipped."

"I can't wait any longer. I'll be participating in my thesis defense as soon as I get back. I'll use these next two days to read through my thesis. Could you please bring my thesis on refrigeration engineering to my office for me?"

As night fell, Pang Shiyou draped his coat over his shoulders, carefully wiped his glasses, and began to peruse his nearly foot-high graduation thesis. A small notebook lay before him, for jotting down notes as needed.

Fewer than thirty graduates specializing in cold chain logistics are particularly concerned about their understanding of the profession and the industry. Talent is paramount in all industries, especially in the cold chain sector. Discovering talent related to food science and paving the way for talent development is Pang Shiyou's mission.

The development of the refrigeration engineering program at the University of Minnesota, industry seminars, and even the recent laboratory all owe much to his efforts. However, progress in refrigeration engineering has not been ideal; the deeper one delves, the more problems accumulate. Enabling the next generation of young people to showcase their talents and explore new horizons, and supporting their passion and enthusiasm, has gradually become Pang Shiyou's primary concern. Age is no longer an option for him, but if this baton can be passed on well, it will be enough to make his life worthwhile. Therefore, this senior professor attaches great importance to the papers submitted by the first cohort.

He read until midnight, but Pang Shiyou's notebook contained only a few words. He occasionally saw some flashes of brilliance in these papers, but they remained merely ideas, lacking analysis or further development. Others were mostly statements, lacking personal reflection. Still others analyzed the problems very well, but were too narrowly focused, or even used simply as a vehicle, piecing together some knowledge of cold chain logistics.

Of course, the University of Minnesota was more lenient with its first cohort of theses in the field of cold chain logistics than usual. The faculty, teaching materials, and equipment were far inferior, making them incomparable to established food science theses.

For Pang Shiyou, it wasn't exactly disappointing. After all, they were already professionally trained, and when these students left campus and entered companies or returned to their hometowns, they would become a great help to the industry.

Pang Shiyou was a little tired. When he closed his notebook and put it aside, it landed right on the open magazine, which was the article that had been lying on the table: "Industry Reflections Beyond Cold Storage and Refrigerated Trucks".

Pang Shiyou's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately flipped through the title pages of these papers again, but still couldn't find Hu Shutong's name. Needless to say, the entire college was missing his paper.

Pang Shiyou was intrigued. He had really wanted to see him last time; that outstanding student was just one crucial exam away from entering the food science lab, and he had already envisioned collaborating with his lab. But then the explosion happened. He wanted to see him again this time, but the student just wouldn't submit his paper until the deadline. With his departure imminent, he hoped to see the paper before leaving.

The next day, Hu Shutong's paper was finally entered into the database, and Pang Shiyou took a copy with him on the plane.

Hu Shutong's thesis title was more down-to-earth than any of his classmates'—"An Analysis of the Current Status of Cold Chain Logistics in my country and a Preliminary Exploration of Industry Standards".

Pang Shiyou read it over and over again, then closed his eyes. He temporarily put the paper aside and focused on the matter that had made him hesitate for so long; at this moment, he made his decision.

The scope of the food science laboratory is very broad, encompassing nutrition, food chemistry, plant protein, grain starch engineering, and more—these are also the main areas of focus for the current technical team. When giving the lecture, Pang Shiyou suggested recruiting cold chain logistics professionals, but things didn't go as planned.

However, Pang Shiyou is even more aware that with the current equipment and manpower of food science laboratories, even if cold chain personnel were to enter, it would be difficult for them to make a difference.

In fact, cryogenic technology could easily be classified as a separate research project. Fields like refrigerated food packaging technology and storage and preservation technology offer vast opportunities for research and development. Graduates specializing in cold chain logistics typically excel in physics and chemistry, and their university courses often focus on cryogenic technology. They need a platform to apply their knowledge and pursue further studies.

The phrase "refrigerated science laboratory" had been in Pang Shiyou's mind for many years, but it also meant a large amount of research funding. Given the manpower available in the past, this would have been an extremely complicated matter.

Pang Shiyou glanced out the porthole. Hu Shutong's paper had touched and inspired him. At first, he was filled with joy, but upon rereading it, he felt a profound weight. From the perspective of academic standards, it wasn't an exceptionally outstanding paper, but from the perspective of the current situation and the industry, it was a remarkable one!

Between the lines, Pang Shiyou exudes a solid, pragmatic, and down-to-earth spirit. While everyone else complains about the coldness of the path, he maintains a consistent, interconnected approach. Even more remarkable is his extraordinary understanding of this interconnectedness; it's not merely about connecting links, but rather about understanding the key elements that make this path so challenging. As for the professional content, there's no need to elaborate; a look at his academic performance during university speaks volumes.

The papers from the University of Minnesota are always very broad, and a broad perspective and vision are always a plus. Professor Pang also likes to see a student's long-term thinking. However, Hu Shutong's paper made him ignore these things and focus on one word: dedication.

Sometimes, perspective can be deceiving. A castle in the air, seemingly grand and ambitious at first glance, quickly reveals numerous obstacles and a lack of clear keys upon closer inspection. But commitment is entirely different; it's about taking each step, one by one, towards that castle. Without commitment, how could one write about the realities of the industry? Without commitment, how could there be such seemingly alarming case studies?

This is not just a graduation thesis; Pang Shiyou decided to use it as a stepping stone to open the door to the refrigerated food laboratory. Although he is getting old, there are many talented people emerging. He believes that these new and upward forces are driving more than just him.

"Xiao Wu, has the time for the cold chain logistics defense been arranged?"

"You already asked this morning, and the committee said that the day you come back to defend your thesis will be the day it begins."

"Look at my memory, it's excellent!"

……