Updated: September 3, 2024
On the morning of August 30th, Chongqing Jiaotong University(CQJTU) and the University of Science and Technology of China(USTC) held a ceremony for the unveiling of plaque of the “Great ideological and political theory courses” practical teaching site of the USTC School of Engineering Science, as well as the education and research site for the Qian Xuesen Mechanics Science and Technology Elite Class. The ceremony took place at the Ulan Buh Desert Soilization Experiment Demonstration Site in Inner Mongolia.
Leaders from both CQJTU and USTC attended the event and delivered speeches. In addition, members of the Desert “Soilization” Technology research team from CQJTU, students from the 2023 Ecological Mechanics Experimental Class, and students from the 2022 and 2023 cohorts of the Qian Xuesen Mechanics Science and Technology Elite Class and the Mechanics Strong Foundation Class at USTC participated in the ceremony. The event was hosted by Bai Kai, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) CQJTU Committee and Director of the Department of Publicity.
Zhou Congzhao, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC USTC Committee and Vice President of USTC, delivered a speech on behalf of the university. He emphasized that desertification is a major challenge to sustainable development and to humanity’s survival in many parts of the world. Over the years, Professor Yi Zhijian from CQJTU has led his team in overcoming the difficulties of interdisciplinary research in harsh desert environments, applying mechanical principles to sand control and achieving the remarkable feat of “turning sand into soil.” This accomplishment carries significant scientific weight and demonstrates substantial practical value.
As a university founded for the “Two Bombs and One Satellite” project, USTC has remained committed to its original aspiration and mission of “serving the nation through science and education and pursuing excellence,” continuously aligning its development with the country’s progress. Rooted in western China, CQJTU actively promotes the “Two Roads” spirit and has made important contributions to the national transportation industry as well as to local economic and social development. Moreover, both universities share a historical connection to the development of the CPC.
Zhou Congzhao encouraged students to study diligently, think critically, master professional skills, and strive to “write papers on the land of the country,” inspiring youth to thrive in actively contributing to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through a uniquely Chinese path to modernization.
Zhong Jianchuan, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC CQJTU Committee and Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission at CQJTU, delivered a welcome speech in which he expressed sincere gratitude for the trust and support of USTC’s faculty and students. He expressed hope that the two universities would collaborate to establish a comprehensive practical teaching site that integrates ideological and political education, scientific research, and talent cultivation. He emphasized the importance of jointly promoting and practicing the spirit of scientific inquiry and pragmatic action, while fostering a strong sense of public service.
Zhong believed that through the joint efforts of both institutions, the site would become a valuable platform for practical education. He anticipated that it would yield meaningful research outcomes and tangible results in talent development, thereby advancing educational goals and honoring commitment through practical actions in hands-on teaching.
Mou Ling, Deputy Secretary of the School of Engineering Science at USTC, unveiled the plaque for the practical teaching site. Wu Qiang, Deputy Director of the Office of Academic Affairs, presented the plaque for the Qian Xuesen Mechanics Science and Technology Elite Class education and research practice site.
From August 29th to 31st, 39 students from the 2026 and 2027 cohorts of the Qian Xuesen Mechanics Science and Technology Elite Class and the Mechanics Strong Foundation Class at the School of Engineering Science, USTC, participated in a field practice and research program at the site. Once a barren desert stretching for thousands of miles, the area now flourishes with lush greenery. Accompanied by Professor Yi Zhijian, the students toured this desert “oasis,” witnessing and experiencing the groundbreaking “turning sand into soil” experiments firsthand.
During the field activities, students observed the unique inverted structure—“tight on top and loose at the bottom”—along with well-developed plant root systems in the “soilized” desert. These observations deepened their understanding of the mechanical principles, technological strategies, and real-world effectiveness of desert soilization in ecological restoration.
On the afternoon of August 30th, the students attended a special lecture titled Sand Control Through Mechanical Approaches, delivered by Professor Yi Zhijian, who was recognized as one of China’s “Most Outstanding Scientists” in 2021. Drawing on years of scientific research and practical experience, Professor Yi shared the achievements of using mechanical methods to achieve desert soilization, vividly illustrating his commitment to scientific inquiry and his unwavering dedication to combating desertification. He also outlined the promising prospects of desert soilization in ecological restoration, green development, and other fields. Encouraging students to embrace interdisciplinary research and boldly explore extreme environments, he emphasized the importance of letting scientific principles and empirical evidence speak for themselves.
