National Southwestern Associated University
Dai was born on 21 December 1921 in Dayan Village, Yin County (present Yinzhou District) of Ningbo, Zhejiang province. Dai graduated from the famous Xiaoshi High School () in Ningbo. Dai studied physics and graduated in 1942 from the National Southwestern Associated University (NSAU). Dai taught as an assistant at NSAU, Sun Yat-sen University and Tsinghua University. Dai topped (ranked first of totally 400) the Sino-British Boxer Indemnity Scholarship Program.