The IAE of Tsinghua inaugurated
A university can reach the first-class high only in the process of serving its country.
-QIU Yong
Tsinghua News Dec. 19 On December 18, 2021 (p.m.), the inaugurating ceremony of Institute for Aero Engine (IAE) of Tsinghua University was held at the reception hall of its main building. IAE was established as a major measure to get in-depth involvement in the implementation of innovation-driven development strategy, respond to the national strategy of military-civilian integrated development and the major strategic landscape of Tsinghua University for the new century.
Ceremony Site
Known as “the pearl on industrial crown”, aero engines are widely regarded as one of the most sophisticated industrial products in the entire structure featuring the highest threshold of core technology. They can reflect the overall strength of a nation in science, technology, industry and national defense. With the purpose of “bolstering the foundation and leading the future” and in pursuing the development strategy of “in-depth military-civilian integration” and “opening-up for cooperation”, IAE of Tsinghua University strives to seek the technical path of independent research and development, offer fundamental theories and core technology for the materialization of next-generation “high-end, far, fast and smart” aero engines, in a bid to arise itself as the world-class base of technical innovation in terms of aero engine theories and the base of high-end elite training.
Moderated by YOU Zheng, Vice President of Tsinghua University, the ceremony was attended by over 100 participants, including academicians and experts, relevant enterprises and university representatives in the field of aero engine, especially XIN Guobin, Deputy Minister of MITT, QIU Yong, President of Tsinghua University, CHEN Xu, Party Committee Chief of Tsinghua University, CAO Jianguo, Chairman of AECC，XU Huibin, President of Beihang University, LI Tieshi, President of Air Force Academy of PLA, LEI Chaozi, Director-General of Science and Technology with Ministry of Education, MEI Jun, Head of Strategic Planning Bureau under the Office of Central Committee of Military-Civilian Integration, GAN Xiaohua, Dean of IAE and SHUAI Shijin, Head of Party Working Group of Tsinghua University.
XIN Guobin, QIU Yong, CHEN Xu and GAN Xiaohua jointly inaugurated the IAE
At the ceremony, XIN Guobin, QIU Yong, CHEN Xu and GAN Xiaohua jointly inaugurated the IAE. CHEN Xu read the name list of IAE Academician Consultative Committee and IAE Expert Advisory Committee. ZHANG Yanzhong, Academician and Head of Special Advisory Committee on Aero Engine and Gas Turbine was appointed Chairman of Academician Consultative Committee. Academicians LIU Daxiang and CHEN Maozhang of Beihang University were the Honorary Chairman of Academician Consultative Committee. LI Jibao, Chief Designer of AECC Commercial Aircraft Engine Co., Ltd. (ACAE) was appointed Chairman of Expert Advisory Committee.
CHEN Xu read the namelist of two IAE Committees
On behalf of Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and the Office of Special Leadership Group on Aero Engine and Gas Turbine (or “the Office”), XIN Guobin expressed warm welcome to the establishment of IAE and full support given to IAE from MIIT and the Office. XIN believed that Tsinghua university has got ready for long-term efforts and arduous work when it decided to embark on the great cause of aero engine development. It is hoped that Tsinghua University can further enhance sense of mission and responsibility and embrace coordination and innovation to leverage its strength and aggregate the research direction concerning the weakness and bottleneck issues of China’s aero engine industry, and to build up a base of scientific research with Tsinghua characteristics. It is under its efforts to nurture a batch of talents in strategic technology, technical pioneers and emerging science and technology as well as a high-caliber innovation team, which can give strong support to the industrial development of aero engine.
XIN Guobin delivered remarks
In his opening remarks, QIU Yong expressed his appreciation for all the support given to Tsinghua for advancing its cause of aero engine development. He mentioned that the inauguration ceremony of IAE has of special meaning during the celebration of 40th anniversary of opening-up and reform.
QIU Yong delivered remarks
QIU stressed that Tsinghua always regards its service to major national strategic needs as one of its obligatory missions. Six decades ago, Tsinghua decided to build up the institute of nuclear technology design, coded “No. 200”. Over generations of hard work by Tsinghua people, No. 200 has become a banner of Tsinghua in its service to national strategies and adherence to its independent innovation. Standing on the new historic position, Tsinghua will carry forward the spirit of “No. 200” and decide to build the IAE into its new version of “No. 200” by taking the initiative and embarking on a self-improvement route of independent innovation. IAE will focus on the basic theory, talent training and frontier exploration based on the landscape of national development, enhance cooperation with aviation industry and universities to jointly advance the innovative development of the national aero-engine undertaking.
QIU said that 21st century represents an age of opening-up and innovation. “At this critical juncture of historic development, we deeply realized that a university can reach the first-class high only in the process of serving the country. Today it is also an important moment of looking back and looking into the new historic start. Let us work together to create bigger new miracles on the route of independent innovation.”
CAO Jianguo delivered remarks
In his remarks, CAO Jianguo said that the formal inauguration of Tsinghua IAE adds new power to the national cause of aero engine. Embarking on the new stage of development, Tsinghua University actively commits itself into the national major projects by leveraging its overall advantages and resources, overcomes difficulties, forges ahead and rises to the new high, in a bid to promote the IAE development with strong determination, which he highly acclaims and fully support. AECC is ready to work with Tsinghua on the development of IAE in a practical, stronger and better manner.
LEI Chaozi delivered remarks
LEI was pleased to witness the achievements made by Tsinghua in the aeronautic development and research. He said that Secretary-General XI Jinping indicated in his letter of congratulation to Tsinghua for the celebration of its 105th anniversary, Tsinghua University represents a banner of China’s higher education, which reflected the full affirmation by Secretary-General on the current work by Tsinghua and the sincere expectation expressed by XI towards the future development of Tsinghua. As the mission of higher education should be to serve the national needs, XI believed that Tsinghua IAE will definitely make huge contributions to the innovation-based development of aeronautic industry.
MEI Jun delivered remarks
MEI said that Tsinghua is the birth place of national major talents and powerful tools. He congratulated Tsinghua for its responsibility and strength of establishing IAE, and expected to build IAE into a platform of military-civilian integration for a new age. The power can be pooled to bring out the scientific and technical achievements and overcome the technical difficulties; the high-caliber talents can be sent off; more institutional progress can be demonstrated and the new models can be replicated and promoted in order to drive the faster development of some related sectors.
GAN Xiaohua delivered remarks
GAN Xiaohua introduced the vision of IAE, and said that the IAE would adopt an open and cooperative model of scientific research, bring its strength into a full play, vigorously strengthen collaborative innovation, better build a talent training platform and a scientific research base, and do its best to contribute to resolving the major and critical technical issues of our country about aero-engine.
Group photo of forum participants
Tsinghua University boasts a good foundation for aero-engine research by gathering relevant talents and discipline basis. On January 12, 2012, the school established a multi-disciplinary aero-engine research and development platform relying on the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Department of Energy and Power Engineering, and the Department of Automotive Engineering. In recent years, the school has undertaken more than 100 research projects related to aerospace engines and gas turbines. In addition, the school has successively signed a strategic cooperation agreement with China Aviation Development Corporation, and signed a related agreement with the Air Force Research Institute.
Edited by LV Ting
Reviewed by CHENG Xi
