On the afternoon of April 24th, the doctoral forum Construction and Research Progress of Mechanical Engineering Discipline at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University was held at the Modern Transportation Engineering Center, hosted by the Party Committee Propaganda Department and organized by the Urban Rail Transit College and the Shanghai Rail Transit Vibration and Noise Control Technology Engineering Research Center. The keynote speaker for this session is Professor Cheng Li, a member of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and the Chief Lecturer and Vice Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. More than 100 teachers and students participated in this forum through online or offline means. The forum is hosted by Professor Sheng Xiaozhen from the School of Urban Railway Transportation.
Professor Cheng Li briefly introduced the development process of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the discipline construction of mechanical engineering, and some major research topics currently undertaken by the Acoustics and Vibration Research Alliance. He also discussed the challenges and opportunities associated with these research endeavors. Professor Cheng noted that since the founding of the university 85 years ago, the Department of Mechanical Engineering, as one of the founding departments of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, has been actively engaged in both basic and applied research. They have been driving the development of cutting-edge knowledge, providing continuous scientific research services to Hong Kong, the surrounding regions, and beyond. The research activities of the Department of Mechanical Engineering are primarily focused on four main areas, affiliated with three research centers and a university research alliance. As one of its integral components, the Acoustics and Vibration Research Alliance consistently conducts extensive research projects, including vibration and noise control, fluid-structure interaction, structural health monitoring, and studies in acoustics, elasticity, metamaterials, and structures. Professor Cheng Li's vivid and informative presentation style greatly stimulated everyone's research interests.
During the interactive discussion session, faculty and students actively posed questions and engaged in extensive exchanges with Professor Cheng Li. The discussions covered topics related to vibration and noise in the field, submitting high-level research papers, writing grant proposals, and graduate student training. The academic atmosphere on-site was vibrant, with both faculty and students attentively participating. They not only gained insights into cutting-edge professional knowledge but were also inspired by Professor Cheng's profound academic expertise and his relentless pursuit of scientific excellence. The atmosphere was conducive to rich academic exchanges, and the attendees found the session to be highly rewarding and beneficial.
Professor Cheng Li is primarily engaged in research in the fields of vibration and noise control, structural health monitoring, fluid-structure interaction, intelligent materials, and structures. He has published over 600 academic papers, chaired or served as a committee member for over 40 international conferences, and has been invited to deliver keynote speeches at more than 30 international conferences.