(PCC) Program on Chinese Cities – Thoughts on Overseas Travels Series
Authors: Zhenming Wu,
Economic PhD, Deputy Researcher at the Regional Economic Research Institute, Sichuan Academy of Social Sciences, and Secretary-General of the Sichuan Regional Science Association. Email: 01wuzhenming01@163.com
American historical sociologist Jack A. Coldstone once titled his work “Why Europe? The Rise of the West in World History, 1500-1850” to explain why industrialization first appeared in Europe instead of other parts of the world. From the late 19th century to the present, the United States has achieved and maintained its position as the world’s leading nation. Why the United States? The contemplation and response to this question should hold equal importance to “Why Europe?” In people’s eyes, being a leader is synonymous with the United States, and innovation is its calling card, with innovation shaping the leading United States.
I arrived in the United States in July 2017, and over the past year, I have roughly felt the differences between China and the United States. With my growing experience of living in the U.S., the idea has repeatedly emerged in my mind: “This is why innovation happens in the U.S.!”
1. Innovation Begins with Simple Living
Innovation is a personalized activity; even in today’s complex field of science and technology, innovation consists of individual activities and is a systematic project that requires long-term accumulation and full commitment of individuals. From observations in the United States, a simple life may be a more conducive environment for innovation.
For someone newly arrived at Chapel Hill, it’s hard not to be influenced by the clear blue sky, the large trees, and the neatly trimmed lawns. As I stepped out of Raleigh Airport, I was overwhelmed by the beautiful environment and also by concerns: how to rent a house, enroll children in school, buy insurance, and so on. However, within the next week, all these issues were resolved smoothly—just by preparing the required documents and adhering to scheduled appointments. The process of solving these life issues involved no queuing, back and forth, cold looks, or harsh words. I truly felt from the bottom of my heart: life can be simple. Later, when I mentioned these feelings to friends who had been in the U.S. for many years, they first paused, then smiled, and casually said: “It should be just like this.” This gave me a feeling—that such a simple life can make people happy, more focused on work and thinking, and more likely to innovate.
Coincidentally, “Sanlian Life Weekly” once interviewed a group of Chinese mathematicians working in the U.S. with remarkable achievements. Their common feeling was that the simple and fulfilling lifestyle in the U.S. was an important factor enabling them to focus on the field of mathematics for a long time. And a simple lifestyle, aside from personal discipline, efficient administrative management, a beautiful natural environment, and a friendly cultural environment, are also fundamental conditions shaping a simple lifestyle.
I live in Chapel Hill, which is part of the Research Triangle in North Carolina. From what I can observe, the lifestyle here is generally simple: working on weekdays, spending time with family during rest periods, and engaging in outdoor sports or traveling with family during holidays. The researchers I’ve met are satisfied with their current lives, rarely anxious or complaining, and importantly, they are optimistic and confident about their current research work—a stark contrast to the mentality of researchers I met in China, making this a profound experience. I think this type of personal simple lifestyle, and the optimism and confidence formed within it, are the substrates for cultivating an innovative spirit; this is perhaps also the enduring secret of the Research Triangle area in North Carolina.
2. Innovation Comes from Diversity
Innovation, like genetic mutations in biological evolution, only occurs when there are enough types of genes and a sufficient number of mutations, allowing new species adapted to the environment to emerge. Similarly, only when there are enough different types of innovations, can successful innovations be born. The United States possesses this diversity and has developed a culture that encourages it.
As is well known, the United States is a nation of immigrants, made up of descendants from all over the world, and each year, about 1 million new immigrants from around the globe arrive in the U.S. This diverse demographic composition has shaped the diversity and inclusiveness of American culture. The collision of various cultures and ways of thinking provides multiple possibilities for innovation. Taking North Carolina as an example, with a total population of about 10 million, whites account for 63.5%, blacks 21.1%, Hispanics 9.2%, Asians 2.7%, and other ethnic groups 3.5%【Data from Data USA】. In Chapel Hill, it’s common to see people of different skin colors and speaking different languages, which is the foundation of America.
Of course, the external diversity of the population is not the key factor in fostering innovation; it is the encouragement and inclusiveness towards diversity that are key to American innovation. Many people refer to America as a melting pot of nations, but after experiencing it for a while, I find Linda’s description of a “vegetable salad pot” more fitting【”This is not a ‘melting pot’, this is a ‘vegetable salad pot’, where after stirring for a long time, the vegetables remain vegetables, and the radishes remain radishes.”—Linda, “Deep Worries in History”】. The cultures and lifestyles of various ethnic groups together constitute America, but they maintain their independence without blending into a mainstream culture called “American.” Instead, they coexist, forming a diverse America. We see people of different skin colors and languages learning together, working together, competing together in schools, companies, and sports fields; and as a Mexican technician once told me, in America “white with white, black with black, yellow with yellow.” This state of ‘union’ without ‘fusion’ comes from the inclusiveness of diverse cultures, and diversity provides limitless possibilities for innovation.
3. Innovation Stems from Exchange
Exchange is the most effective way of innovation. Through various forms of communication, people exchange ideas at the thought level, collide and form new ideas, creating the source of innovation. I have observed that the United States creates conditions for exchange in the following aspects.
First, schools focus on teaching students how to express their own ideas and listen to others. My son, in his preschool class, participates in group learning for almost all courses. Every student has to express their ideas to their group members, no matter what those ideas are, and the teachers always encourage students to speak out. Meanwhile, each student also learns how to listen to others. After a year, my son has developed the habit of expressing his ideas and willingly shares his views on various things everywhere. It is foreseeable that through long-term training, everyone possesses the ability to express their own ideas and listen to others, which is the foundation of effective communication.
Second, good reading habits. What I envy most is encountering people reading everywhere in the United States: in libraries, where you can see elders returning a large bag of books and young people leaving with books, as well as children engrossed in reading; on airplanes, buses, in parks, and while waiting in line, there are always people reading. According to surveys, in 2016, the average American read 12 books per year, while in China in 2017, the average was 4.66 books. Besides reading habits, the accessibility and convenience of public library services also promote reading. For instance, Chapel Hill Public Library (Image 2) provides free book lending to local residents and offers book exchange services with nearby libraries; whether public libraries or university libraries, there are no entry restrictions, and anyone who wants to read is welcome.
Third, ample space for exchange. Exchange spaces can be simple or complex, casual or formal, but they are an essential condition for communication. From what I can observe in the United States, a large number of public facilities provide this function. For example, the meeting rooms in libraries are available for public use free of charge; similarly, the incubation centers in the Research Triangle area provide free spaces for discussion and exchange. From an economic perspective, the government reduces the innovation cost for innovators in this way, creating an external environment conducive to innovation.
Innovation is a very complex and diversified process, and so-called “successful innovation experiences” are difficult to simply summarize and replicate. However, cultivating an environment conducive to innovation, providing possibilities for various types of innovations, is like providing fertile soil for seeds, with the fruits of success soon to follow.