Qian Xuesen Library was officially opened on December 11, 2011. Hu Jintao, the then General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, made significant instructions at the opening ceremony. Li Changchun, Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee attended the occasion. Liu Yandong delivered a speech on behalf of the central government, indicating the goal of building Qian Xuesen Library into a collection center for Qian Xuesen’s documentations and realia of different stages; promotion center of Qian Xuesen’s scientific achievements and academic spirit; and research center of Qian Xuesen’s scientific ideas and theories. On the conference held in December, 2011 about learning central leaders’ instructions, the Party Group of Ministry of Education specified its support for Shanghai Jiaotong University to set up a Qian Xuesen Research Center and to apply for being a Humanistic and Social Science Research Base of the Ministry of Education. In 2012, the Party Committee of Shanghai Jiaotong University decided to set up Shanghai Jiaotong University Qian Xuesen Research Center, as part of the liberal art base construction of the university's phase-three 985 project.
Named after Qian Xuesen, the research center mainly focuses on the analysis of Qian Xuesen’s life experience, scientific achievements and spirit, and other outstanding Chinese scientists contributing to China's “two-bombs, one satellite” project. As an independent academic institution,it conducts cooperative researches with organizations from all over the country, aiming at becoming a key research base of the Ministry of Education in humanities and social science.
(one) Qian Xuesen represents a spiritual monument. After the founding of new China, Qian Xuesen broke through various obstacles to come back to China where he devoted himself into socialist construction, making outstanding contributions in many fields, such as national defense, science and technology. Over several decades, Qian Xuesen had always bonded his fate to the cause of the Party and the country, well exemplified the lofty patriotism, rigorous scientific attitude and noble moral sentiment as an intellectual.
(two) Qian Xuesen is a model of innovation. Innovation is the life of learning as well as the driving force for Qian Xuesen’s progress. Influenced by the idea of “saving the nation by engaging in industry”, Qian Xuesen chose the the study of railway as his major in his youth. After “the incident of January 28”, he became interested in aerospace knowledge and studied relevant curriculum. Later, with the ambition of “saving the nation through aerospace industry”, he went to the US to pursue master degree and Ph. D in aerospace engineering, during and after which he has made outstanding contributions to solving frontier aerospace problems in shell, shock wave, sonic barrier, thermal barrier, etc., and has put forward engineering cybernetics, physical mechanics and other subjects. After returning to China, he created the management system of separating administration from technology when he worked as the leader of Chinese aerospace industry. In his later years, he implemented the idea of system engineering into various aspects of life, proposing groundbreaking theories from the perspectives of recognizing and improving the nature. Qian Xuesen said: “following what others said is not true scientific spirit. The most important thing of true scientific spirit lies in innovation”.
(three) Qian Xuesen is a treasury of thoughts. Qian Xuesen’s thoughts are extensive and profound, covering 11 major subjects including natural science, social science, geography, architecture, philosophy, etc. Making full use of the system science, Qian Xuesen has proposed many forward-looking viewpoints with guiding significance in various scientific areas. Many of his thoughts, for example, on political civilization and on sand and grass industry, have enormously influenced the public as well as the country.
(four) Qian Xuesen is an epitome of an age. Born in the early years of the Republican China and died in the critical period of reform and opening-up, Qian Xuesen was an exemplar of Chinese intellectuals who studied and worked hard to serve and develop the country with his knowledge, thus to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. The trajectory of Qian's whole life best illustrates the Chinese Dream of our time. Therefore, focusing on the scientists who have made great contribution to the “two-bombs, one-satellite” project, Qian Xuesen Research Center aims at enriching the education of national spirit with patriotism as the core and the spirit of the times with reform and innovation as the core.
(one) The Center is a platform for openly academic exchange between domestic and foreign Qian Xuesen related researches. So far, researches about Qian Xuesen are quite active, resulting in various publications, academies and research societies. However, it is not easy for scattered forces to form team power.
(two) The Center is an important place for demonstrating Qian Xuesen’s spirit and thoughts. Through the integration of the research forces of Qian Xuesen Library, Qian Xuesen’s colleagues, working staff and experts working in the same field, the Center will make the best use of its advantages and its collaborative abilityto form an authoritative research team in the study of Qian Xuesen’s spirit and thoughts.
(three) The Center will strive to become a decision-making think tank for the Party and the country. Motivated by national strategic needs, the Center will explore Qian Xuesen’s innovative, forward-looking and guiding thoughts, such as department of overall planning, geographic construction, thus to serve current socialist construction and reform.
(four) The Center is an important fortress to propagate socialist core values. Researchers of the Center actively participate in nationwide touring report to build the Center into an important fortress leading cultural tide and propagating socialist core value.
Major research area 1: research on Qian Xuesen’s life experience
Major research area 2: research on Qian Xuesen’s scientific achievement and academic thoughts
Major research area 3: research on outstanding scientists contributing to the “two-bombs, one-satellite” project
1. Full-time staff
No. | Name | Professional title | Research area | Organization |
1 | Qian Yonggang | Senior engineer | Research on Qian Xuesen’s thoughts of system science | Shanghai Jiaotong University Qian Xuesen Library |
2 | Zheng Chengliang | Professor | Legal theory | Shanghai Jiaotong University Qian Xuesen Library |
3 | Shi Guiquan | Research fellow | Qian Xuesen’s technical science achievement and thought | Shanghai Jiaotong University Qian Xuesen Library |
4 | Zhang Kai | Associate professor | Qian Xuesen’s spiritual demeanor research | Shanghai Jiaotong University Qian Xuesen Library |
5 | Zhang Xianmin | Associate research fellow | Qian Xuesen’s life experience research | Shanghai Jiaotong University Qian Xuesen Library |
6 | Wei Hong | Associate research fellow | Qian Xuesen’s life experience research | Shanghai Jiaotong University Qian Xuesen Library |
7 | Wang Changming | Librarian | Qian Xuesen’s educational thought | Shanghai Jiaotong University Qian Xuesen Library |
8 | Rong Zhengtong | Librarian | Qian Xuesen and system science | Shanghai Jiaotong University Qian Xuesen Library |
9 | Lv Chengdong
| Librarian | Qian Xuesen’s thoughts | Shanghai Jiaotong University Qian Xuesen Library |
2. Consultants and part-time researchers
No. | Organization | Name | Professional title | Research area |
1 | China Society of Territorial Economists | Liu Shu | Researcher | Sand and grass industry and Qian Xuesen’s theory of the sixth industrial revolution |
2 | China Society of Territorial Economists | Tian Yuzhao | Researcher | Sand and grass industry and Qian Xuesen’s theory of the sixth industrial revolution |
3 | Science and Technology Committee of General Armaments Department | Tu Yuanji | Researcher | Qian Xuesen’s scientific contributions and academic ideas |
4 | Science and Technology Committee of General Armaments Department | Gu Jihuan | Senior Colonel | Qian Xuesen’s scientific contributions and academic ideas |
5 | Science and Technology Committee of General Armaments Department | Li Ming | Senior Colonel | Qian Xuesen’s scientific contributions and academic ideas |
6 | China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation | Yu Jingyuan | Researcher | Qian Xuesen’s thoughts of system science |
7 | Peking University | Ma Ainai | Professor | Qian Xuesen and geographical science |
8 | Huazhong University of Science and Technology | Li Dehua | Professor | Qian Xuesen’s thoughts of system science |
9 | China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation | Wang Chunhe | Researcher | Qian Xuesen’s scientific contributions and academic ideas |
10 | China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation | Chen Zhongqing | Researcher | Qian Xuesen’s scientific contributions and academic ideas |
Since 2011, Qian Xuesen Research Center has organized (or co-organized) a series of academic conferences and attended many exchange activities, including:
(one) Organized (or co-organized) academic conferences
In November, 2012, the Center organized the “Qian Xuesen and Chinese Aerospace Academic Seminar” with “Qian Xuesen and Chinese Aerospace” research group to discuss Qian Xuesen’s significance for Chinese and even world aerospace industry;
On Nov 4, 2013, the Center organized “Qian Xuesen Research Center Development Seminar and Consultant Appointment Ceremony” in Beijing, employing ten experts in Qian Xuesen research field to discuss the direction of future research;
On Nov 16, 2013, the Center organized “Qian Xuesen’s Philosophical Thoughts Seminar” with Shanghai Academy of Thinking Sciences, Shanghai Association of Artificial Intelligence and Shanghai Association of Logic to discuss Qian Xuesen’s contribution to thinking sciences;
In September, 2014, under the guidance of the sand industry professional committee of China Society of Territorial Economists, Inner Mongolia Association of Deserticulture and Praticulture and Gansu Association of Deserticulture and Praticulture, Shanghai Jiaotong University Qian Xuesen Library hosted the “Academic Seminar of the 30th Anniversary of the Establishment of Qian Xuesen’s Theory of the Sixth Industrial Revolution”, reviewing the theory of “the sixth industrial revolution” proposed by Qian Xuesen 30 years ago, and summarizing the implementation of this theory all around China.
(two) Attended conferences:
In November, 2012, the Center attended “Qian Xuesen’s Sixth Industrial Revolution Theory Seminar” presented by Liu Shu, former vice chairman of China Association for Science and Technology;
In July, 2013, the Center attended “Qian Xuesen’s Idea of Social Engineering Seminar” co-held by Beijing Society for Philosophy of Nature, Science and Technologyand the Journal Editorial Department of Renmin University of China;
In August, 2013, the Center attended “Qian Xuesen’s Sand and Grass Theory and Khorchin’s Green Development Seminar” co-held by Inner Mongolia Association of Deserticultureand Tongliao Municipal Government.