2021 is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Ren Wang (Wang A.J.), a famous mechanics expert, geodynamicist, educator and member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. On May 15th and 16th, the centennial birthday commemoration meeting of Dr. Ren Wang and Seminar on Frontiers of Solid Mechanics was held at Peking University.

The event was hosted by the College of Engineering of Peking University and the Solid Mechanics Committee of the Chinese Society of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (CSTAM), co-organized by the journal Mechanics and Practice, and undertaken by the Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University.

The purpose of the event is to commemorate Ren Wang’s outstanding contributions to mechanics teaching and research, to exchange the main research progress in various fields of mechanics at home and abroad, and to carry forward Dr. Wang’s aspiration in science and education.

Dean Huiling Duan, the College of Engineering, gives a speech

On the morning of May 16, Ping Hao, President of Peking University, attended the meeting, and Qihuang Gong, Executive Vice President of Peking University, delivered a speech at the meeting.

Many academic representatives, leaders and guests from a great many universities and related units, together with Wang’s family, friends and student representatives, attended the commemorative meeting, sharing their memory and paying tributes to Dr. Wang.

“The Department of Mechanics and Engineering established a lecture series in 2016 in the name of Ren Wang, and over 70 speakers in the mechanics area from home and abroad have given lectures to our students,” said Prof. Yue Yang, director of the Department of Mechanics and Engineering.

“Dr. Wang set a role model for the later generations to explore boundaries of science and to take responsibility of serving the country as a scientist and educator,” said Huiling Duan, dean of the College of Engineering.

On the afternoon of the 16th, the "Seminar on Frontiers of Solid Mechanics" was held, and the "Youth Forum on Frontiers of Solid Mechanics" was held the day before. Over 200 guests attended the event.