The “Low Carbon·Intelligence·Resilience —— Symposium on Development Strategic Plan of Civil Engineering Discipline” hosted by National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and organized by Tongji University’s National Key Laboratory of Civil Engineering for Disaster Prevention and Mitigation was held on May 5.

21 academicians of Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) and Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), more than 80 winners of National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars and other high-level talents attended the symposium. Qinghua Zheng, President of Tongji University, and Jun Ji, Director of Fourth Department of Engineering Science of NSFC, attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches respectively. Xilin Lu, Chairman of the Academic Committee of the symposium and CAE Academician, presided over the opening ceremony.

CAS Academicians who attended the symposium include Yuanming Lai, Yunmin Chen, Shilong Xu and Jie Li. CAE Academicians who attended the symposium include Jinping Ou, Yongbin Yang, Xuhong Zhou, Changwen Miao, Xuwen Xiao, Yanliang Du, Jianguo Nie, Zhengqing Chen, Jianlong Zheng, Qingrui Yue, Xiangsheng Chen, Xilin Lu, Xigang Zhang, Xiuli Du, Hehua Zhu, Mingyang Wang, and Jiaping Liu.

Qinghua Zheng said that low carbon, intelligence and resilience is the core development direction of the civil engineering discipline. Tongji University will actively promote the inter-disciplinary, integration of industry and education, and high-level international cooperation, so as to grasp the new opportunities of civil engineering in the new circle of scientific and technological revolution and industrial change, and jointly promote the high-quality development of the civil engineering discipline in the new era.

Jun Ji introduced the dynamics of the National Natural Science Foundation of China in the new period, saying that the Foundation Committee will continue to promote original innovation, cultivate excellent talents, and create a relaxing environment, and that this event will clarify the development direction of China's civil engineering disciplines in the next decade.

Through keynote speech and thematic lectures, the experts carried out discussions and exchanges on the strategic development of the discipline. Academician Jie Li delivered a keynote speech on Research Frontier and Development Strategy of Civil Engineering Disciplines. During the free discussion, the experts initially formed the future development direction and initiative proposals for the discipline. Academician Hehua Zhu summarized the symposium. Later, the experts visited Shanghai Research Institute for Intelligent Autonomous Systems of Tongji University.

The symposium has promoted the exchange and cooperation of civil engineering scholars nationwide, coalesced the future development direction and tasks of civil engineering discipline, and put forward suggestions for the development, which is of great significance to promote the original innovation and core technology breakthroughs in the basic science of Civil Engineering, realize the self-reliance of high-level science and technology, and head the discipline to the world class level.