You conduct social superstition research.

"China has no more than five real economists, and some well-known economists at home do not even have the qualifications to be graduate students in the top 50 economics departments in the world." This "shocking statement" by Ding Xueliang sparked a new round of criticism of economists. At the same time, Ding Xueliang also thrust himself into the spotlight through this "bombshell."

Ding Xueliang was born into a farming family in southern Anhui. In 1992, he graduated from Harvard University with a Ph.D., becoming the last disciple of sociological thought master Daniel Bell. He currently teaches at the Department of Social Science at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He enjoys red wine, green tea, classical music, and classic films. What he yearns for even more is to give public lectures on university podiums in China, such as "What Are World-Class Universities?"

His American colleagues said: "You doing social science research is really a waste of your talent; you should be a 'wine ambassador.'"

During his 20 years abroad, Ding Xueliang's appreciation and understanding of foreign wines went through four stages: beer → whiskey → brandy → wine. Each upgrade in taste was directly related to his increase in income.

In October 1984, at the invitation of Professor McFarquhar from Harvard University's Government Department, Ding Xueliang went to Harvard to give an academic lecture. This trip to Boston not only allowed Ding Xueliang to enter Harvard as he had wished, but also let him taste the true flavor of wine for the first time.

At a family wine party held in his honor, Ding Xueliang recalled that Professor McFarquhar opened a bottle of premium wine for him to taste. For the first time drinking wine, Ding Xueliang said he wasn't tasting it with his mouth but with his imagination. Although he didn't fully understand the nuances of its flavors, the setting made him feel an involuntary sense of reverence.

"It's like a country child going to a grand theater in the West to listen to a concert for the first time—it's almost like an opiate. In this sense, although he might not understand the music, he places his emotions and spirit in a highly concentrated state."

In 1996, the Advanced Research Institute of the Australian National University invited Ding Xueliang to conduct full-time research there and provided him with a five-year research grant and an annual salary of 70,000 Australian dollars. Ding Xueliang lived in Australia for three years. Starting from the second year, he began drinking a bottle of wine every day, adding two more bottles when friends came over. Over the course of two years, he drank thousands of different types of wines, reaching a fairly high level of appreciation. He particularly emphasized that when drinking wine, one should have a calm and relaxed mind, enjoying it with a bit of leisure and style.

There, the task of selecting wine during gatherings always fell on him. Ding Xueliang felt very proud of this "wine selector" role. "As a Chinese person, my understanding of foreign wines and wines has reached a level where even Westerners recognize it, which indeed makes me feel proud."