Self-Dedication-Innovation Of Hwang, K. C., A Lifetime Scientific Explorer

Old scientists have participated in and contributed a lot to development of Chinese science and technology. Their academic growth process vividly reflects the progress of science and technology and technological education in modern China. A study of their academic course and summary of academic characteristics is of an importance in sorting out the history of development of science and technology, exploring the law of personnel training. Hwang K C is a typical example among them. Hwang K C, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor in Department of Engineering Mechanics of Astronautics in Tsinghua University, is an expert in the field of solid mechanics and an educator in the field of mechanics. He is very strict with himself and always asks himself to keep pace with the frontiers of mechanics.Since the1950s, he has turned to different fields every decade. He studied shell theory in the1950s, plasticity theory in1960s, fracture mechanics in the1970s, and phase transition mechanics in the1980s, micron scale mechanics in the1990s.In the beginning of new century, he began to study the mechanics in extended electronic components which belongs to the frontiers of science. So far, he has changed five directions and made outstanding achievements.The author went to archives in Tsinghua University and Tianjin University and combed his research work in various fields. On this basis, the anthor made extensive oral interviews with Hwang K C, his wife, colleagues and students.This article systematically combs Hwang K C’s academic growth process in the perspective of sociology of science and history of science and technology. The work is as follows.(1)This paper combines literature and oral interviews, investigates Hwang K C’s detailed resume and clearly sums up the overall figures biography.(2)This paper takes Hwang K C’s scientific research turning as main line and introduces his scientific contribution.(3) Combining Hwang K C’s scientific experience, the paper briefly gives an introduction on his achievements about students teaching and team training.This article focus on detail and describes his various interests, optimistic attitude to life, rigorous attitude to scientific research to restore a real and comprehensive image of Hwang K C.(4) This article intends to analyse his scientific characteristics and factors, exploring his social role as a scientist.We draw a conclusion:Firstly, his several scientific turning is an inevitable result of objective academic development and subjective self-improvement efforts.So is his success-a combination of objective family, school, work environment and subjective seriousness.Besides, he not only devotes himself into scientific work, but also team training and students culturing.ln addition, Hwang K C actively fulfills his social role as a scientist after success. In a word, unlike the first generation of scientists such as Qian Xuesen and Guo Yonghuai, who set up the foundation of scientific and technological career in modern China, however, Hwang K C has played a role of inheritor and mainstay in terms of personnal training, applying theory to engineering practice, catching up with foreign advanced technology.