ECNU leaders, including university council chairman Tong Shijun, president Qian Xuhong and vice president Li Zhibin, attended the inaugural ceremony of the new school on the morning of July 6 when the name list of the leadership of the new school was also announced.
The inaugural ceremony of the new School of Physics and Electrical Science.
Representatives from the Faculty of Physics, State Key Lab of Precision Spectroscopy, and Key Lab of Polar Materials and Devices, were also present at the ceremony.
Vice President Li Zhibin, who presided over the ceremony, said the renaming of the school aimed to clarify the relationship between disciplines and increase the competitiveness of the physics discipline. Consequently, the name of the CPC Committee of the School of Physics and Materials Science has been changed into the CPC Committee of the School of Physics and Electrical Science.
Vice President of ECNU Li Zhibin presides over the ceremony.
Cheng Jing, a member of the ECNU CPC Committee and head of the Organization Department of the committee, read the name list of leaders for the new school. Although most of the officials of the former school will remain at their old posts, Duan Chungang has been named executive vice head of the new school and Jiang Xu to be vice Party chief.
Head of the personnel department Cheng Jing reads the name list of leaders for the new school.
On behalf of newly appointed officials, Duan said in a speech that he shifted his research focus from physics to materials and electronical applications over recent years, which coincides with the development trend of physical sciences; at the same time, the pillars of the new school will be physics, optics, materials science and electronics.
The new school boasts two first-rate disciplines, a dozen high-level scholars included in the State Talent Program, a State key lab and three provincial-level labs. He said the school will optimize discipline layouts and resources, boost cross-discipline collaboration, and propel the development of physics and electronics.
Duan and Jiang deliver their speeches on behalf of newly appointed officials.
In a following speech, Jiang vowed to serve the faculty and students of the new school in a down-to-earth manner, while exerting great efforts to make contributions to ECNU's goal of becoming a double first-class university.
Chen Ya, head of the new school, said the school contains a strong teaching faculty, which will make the process of building a school with first-class discipline much easier.
Li Kai, the new school's Party chief.
According to Li Kai, the new school's Party chief, the school currently staffs 250 and 1,400-plus student-workers. He urged the school to develop a pragmatic and enterprising culture and pursue excellence in its future development.
President Qian speaks about the important role Physics plays.
President Qian said physics plays a vital role in the development of ECNU's natural sciences disciplines in which he claimed that the significance of the establishment of the new school goes far beyond the renaming itself. It is rather a decision after careful deliberation by the university leadership and will be a new starting point in the university's efforts to make itself a double first-class university.
The new school will facilitate integration and exchanges of teaching and scientific research to lay a solid foundation for innovation and development.
He pointed out that human society, as a whole, is in the process of transforming from classical thinking that was facilitated by classical mechanics, to quantum thinking influenced by quantum mechanics. At this critical juncture of the univerisity’s development, the new school was established to grasp the rare opportunity of development before the quantum era comes into fruition. It will further stimulate the vitality of teachers and improve teaching quality and research to better serve the national economic and social development.
President Qian urged the labs in the new school to maintain great vitality, the leadership to abide by rules and be united as one, teachers to be innovative, and the academic team and administrative team to be solidary.
University Council Chairman Tong concludes this ceremony.
In conclusion, Tong said physics has long been one of the predominant disciplines of ECNU, boasting a long history, a strong faculty and a high-level scientific research team. In the past years, the School of Physics and Materials Science focused on frontier research that caters to the needs of the national strategic development as well as Shanghai's goal to build a gobally influential scientific and technological innovation center, and achieved a lot in talent cultivation, scientific research and technological services.
He urged the new school to make more contributions to the social and economic well-being of society all the while promising more support from the university in teaching, research and talent.
Edited by Linlan Zhang Proofread by Joshua Mayfield Reviewed by Wenjun Guo
