Scientist spirit is the concentrated embodiment of scientific spirit and scientific culture of the scientist group, which has the characteristics of science, nationality and times. In the exchange agitation between modern scientific culture and traditional Chinese culture, the Chinese scientist spirit has been able to take root. By reviewing the development process and characteristics of the Chinese scientist spirit and summarizing the spiritual force behind the successful experience of China's century-long history of scientific and technological struggles, we will vigorously carry forward the scientific spirit and the scientist spirit of the new era, so as to better embark on the new journey of making China a powerful country in science and technology and better support the construction of a powerful country and national rejuvenation.

The science and technology of our country must be self-reliant and self-improvement. For this reason, we need enough backbone scientists. Based on the literature, this article presents a case study on several backbone scientists and concludes that they have basic commonalities, namely: solid professional foundation, strong scientific research talent and ability, strong sense of innovation, rich scientific research practice, broad ideas beyond science, and extremely powerful social responsibility. These commonalities are essential elements for them to become backbone scientists. Further analysis shows that the broad thought beyond science comes from the rich scientific research practice which is driven by the strong sense of innovation. The interaction and coupling of scientific research ability, scientific research experience, social experience, and broad thoughts beyond science may create two channels for the scientists, that is, the professional output channel and the spiritual radiation channel. The combined forces of the two channels will support the strong social responsibility of the backbone scientists.

Cultivating and utilizing strategic scientists is the strategic deployment made by the Party Central Committee in response to the current situation and targeted tasks. This study analyzes the definition and characteristics of strategic scientists. Based on the competency theory, a competency judgment model of strategic scientists is formed in four dimensions, i.e., strategic position, strategic foresight, strategic layout and strategic implementation. By the model, 34 strategic scientists are selected and through their resumes and biographical data, the factors affecting their growth are determined and the impact mechanism of the growth is analyzed. Finally, we put forward suggestions on systematically promoting the training and use of strategic scientific and technological talents.

Qian Xuesen was the founder of China's aerospace industry and an internationally renowned scientist and he also was the outstanding representative of China's scientist spirit. This article summarizes the connotation of Qian Xuesen's scientist spirit from six aspects: patriotism, innovation, seeking truth, dedication, collaboration, and education. Qian Xuesen's scientist spirit has injected a permanent scientific spirit and innovative momentum into China's national defense technology innovation and high-level technological self-reliance and self-improvement.

This paper describes Hua Loo-Keng's contributions as a strategic mathematician by investigating his deeds in proposing and implementing the work plan of the Institute of Mathematics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, participating in the formulation of the national science and technology plans, planning and preparing the China's computer undertaking, initiating and organizing middle school students' mathematical competitions, popularizing and promoting the critical path method and optimum seeking method. It is concluded that Hua developed his idea of developing an institute of mathematics in 1943 and put it into practice at the Institute of Mathematics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He made historic contributions to planning China's computing technology and mathematical development. He played an extremely important role in advocating and organizing China's computer undertaking and middle school students' mathematical competitions, as well as in popularizing and promoting the critical path method and optimum seeking method. Hua's transformation from a self-taught youth to an outstanding strategic mathematician was the result of interactions of internal and external factors.

Olga Alexandrovna Ladyzhenskaya was one of the most outstanding female mathematical physicists in Russia in the twentieth century, she made outstanding contributions to the field of partial differential equations, especially in hyperbolic, elliptic, parabolic partial differential equations, Navier-Stokes equations, and attractor theory. Her outstanding contributions also made Russia become a scientific and technological power. By explaining her life experience, academic achievements and profound influences, this paper demonstrates her scientific outlook on life, pursuit of scientific excellence and the driving force to promote scientific progress.