Harbin Engineering University (HEU) recently held a conference at the Teacher Salon of Qihang Activity Center to mark the 73rd anniversary of the founding of its Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering discipline and the 25th anniversary of the restructuring of the College of Shipbuilding Engineering.
ZHANG Xiangmu, Deputy Director of the National Expert Committee on Intelligent Manufacturing, YIN Jingwei, President of HEU, and Carlos Guedes Soares, Foreign Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, attended the conference and delivered speeches. LIAO Zhenpeng, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, sent his remarks via video message.
YANG Desen, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, HAN Duanfeng, Vice President of HEU, and LI Rongsheng, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee, along with other leaders, experts, and alumni representatives, were present at the event.
In his address, YIN Jingwei noted that HEU is currently in a critical “golden decade” of institutional development. He emphasized that the College of Shipbuilding Engineering should solidify its leading position in the naval architecture discipline, uphold core values while embracing innovation, and rally alumni strength to build a mutually empowering development community. He urged the College to proactively embrace the future, intelligence, and industry collaboration, striving to write a new chapter in the high-quality development of the naval architecture discipline and contribute HEU’s strength to the nation’s strategic goals.
In his speech, ZHANG Xiangmu fondly recalled his student years at the College. He remarked that the solid professional foundation he received there had been the cornerstone of his decades-long career in the shipbuilding industry. He expressed hope that the School would continue to cultivate more high-caliber talents in naval architecture and ocean engineering, achieve breakthroughs in key technologies such as intelligent ships, deep-sea equipment, polar technologies, and maritime security, and called on all alumni at home and abroad to work in close unity and collaboration with the School for mutual advancement.
LIAO Zhenpeng expressed his hope that the entire College community would unite and build on past successes, proactively adapt to new technological shifts, and actively promote deep integration of the discipline with artificial intelligence. He encouraged young faculty and students to remain grounded, delve deeply into their specialties, and dedicate themselves to teaching and research, thereby generating sustained momentum for the College’s future development.
Carlos Guedes Soares reflected on nearly two decades of deep collaborative ties with HEU’s College of Shipbuilding Engineering. He expressed hope that the College would continue to uphold an open-development philosophy and deepen exchanges with leading global universities and research institutions; sustain its exemplary role in setting a benchmark for China’s naval architecture discipline and talent cultivation; and further enhance joint talent training and research innovation, fostering more high-impact outcomes through the International Joint Laboratory on Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering Technology.
A representative of the School’s leadership delivered a report on the high-quality development of HEU’s naval architecture and ocean engineering discipline.
The conference featured the inauguration ceremony of an industry–academia–research collaborative innovation platform.
The conference also held the awarding ceremony for university–enterprise practice education bases, with LI Rongsheng presenting the plaques to the partner enterprises.
The conference conferred the School of Shipbuilding Engineering International Cooperation Outstanding Contribution Award upon Carlos Guedes Soares.
Prior to the main conference, the School’s alumni association convened a special meeting and, in accordance with the latest requirements of civil affairs authorities, formally renamed itself the “Shipbuilding and Ocean Engineering Industry Committee of the HEU Alumni Association.” To further broaden alumni engagement and deepen industry-wide collaborative innovation, HEU also established the “Intelligent Marine Vehicles Industry Committee of the HEU Alumni Association,” with HAN Duanfeng presenting the flag to the new committee.
The conference also hosted a donation ceremony for the College of Shipbuilding Engineering Education Development Fund, a collective alumni appointment ceremony, and a keynote report on alumni–school mutual empowerment.
In conjunction with the main conference, multiple high-level international meetings were held simultaneously, including the International Symposium on Ship and Ocean Engineering Technology, the Launch Meeting of the International Innovation Base for Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, the Global Presidents’ Forum on Ship and Ocean Engineering, the Academic Committee Meeting of the International Joint Laboratory on Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering Technology, and the Ship Sub-forum of the Xinghai Forum. These events collectively contributed to advancing the high-quality development of HEU’s naval architecture and ocean engineering discipline.
