Gao Huajian, an academician of the Seventh Academy of Engineering and a top international expert in the fields of mechanics, materials and engineering science, recently joined Tsinghua University full-time.

Gao Huajian established the mechanical theory system of nanobiological structures and revealed the plastic deformation mechanism and fracture mechanism of a variety of new micro-nanostructured metal materials.

He is so far the only scientist in the field of international mechanics who has won three top international honorary awards at the same time: the Hill Prize, the highest honor in international solid mechanics, the Timoshenko Medal, the highest international award in applied mechanics, and the American Mechanical Engineer Society Medal (ASME Medal).

He is an academician of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a foreign academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, an academician of the British Royal Society, an academician of the German National Academy of Sciences, and an academician of the European Academy of Sciences.

On the morning of January 13, Tsinghua University held the appointment ceremony of Mr. Gao Huajian as Chair Professor in the conference room of Institute C. Qiu Yong, secretary of the school party committee, and Li Luming, principal, attended the appointment ceremony. Vice President Zeng Rong presided over the ceremony.

Qiu Yong delivers a speech

Relevant persons in charge from the School of Soil and Water, Department of Precision Instruments, School of Vehicles, Department of Electrical Engineering, School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Medicine, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Basic Industry Training Center, and Personnel Department of Tsinghua University attended the appointment ceremony.

Gao Huajian graduated from Xi'an Jiaotong University with a bachelor's degree and received a master's and doctoral degree in engineering science from Harvard University. He has served as a distinguished university professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, a professor at Stanford University in the United States, the director of the Max Planck Institute in Germany, and a chair professor at Brown University in the United States.

Li Luming (right) issues a letter of appointment to Gao Huajian (left)

According to the Tsinghua University News Network, Gao Huajian’s research spans multiple fields such as mechanics, materials, machinery, and bionics . He mainly studies the macroscopic and microscopic deformation and destructive behaviors of materials, structures, and biological systems. His representative work includes: the creation of a microscopic-based The strain gradient theory of the mechanism and multi-scale research from micro-mechanism to macro-phenomenology have led the development paradigm of mechanics in the past 20 years; it has revealed the plastic deformation mechanism and fracture mechanism of a variety of new micro-nano-structured metal materials, laying the foundation for subsequent materials and mechanics. Scientists have pointed out the feasible direction to solve the problem of strong, tough and mutually exclusive metal materials; they have established a mechanical theoretical system of nano-biological structures and revealed the fundamental reasons for the excellent mechanical properties of biological structural materials. Gao Huajian said that mechanics is the foundation of engineering, the application of science, and a bridge between disciplines. I am willing to actively play the role of a bridge to promote the rapid development of Tsinghua's mechanics discipline and promote in-depth exchanges and cooperation with different disciplines and outstanding teams at home and abroad. I also hope to become a cornerstone to help more young scholars grow and do my best to help They grow into world-class scientists.

Gao Huajian delivered a speech

Gao Huajian has made great achievements in talent training. He has trained 35 doctoral students and supervised 37 postdoctoral students. Among them, one person was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and one was elected as an academician of the American Academy of Engineering. After returning to China, more than 20 people became subject leaders and business backbones in universities and scientific research institutes in my country.

Qiu Yong, Li Luming and Gao Huajian take a group photo

Appointment ceremony site