On September 1, the 13th China Charity Awards ceremony was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, where Chen Maozhang, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Professor at Beihang University, was honored with the title of "Charity Model."

From being among Beihang's first cohort of students to joining the faculty, Chen Maozhang has remained committed to serving the country through aerospace, cultivated countless students, and devoted his life to China's aerospace education and scientific research.

In 1952, Chen Maozhang was admitted to Beihang University (then known as Beijing Institute of Aeronautics), majoring in aero-engine. After graduation, he chose to stay on as a faculty member, beginning a teaching and research career spanning more than sixty years. In 1979, as China embarked on reform and opening-up, Chen Maozhang went to Imperial College London as one of the first visiting scholars for further study.

After returning to China in 1981, Chen Maozhang devoted himself entirely to tackling key technical challenges in aero-engines, making indelible contributions to the development of China's aero-engine technology.

"Being a teacher is the identity I cherish most," Chen Maozhang often said. As an academician, he still insisted on teaching undergraduate courses, maintaining an attitude of "keeping every lesson fresh" and integrating the latest scientific research achievements into his teaching.

In 2013, when his wife was ill and his family was not well-off, the 77-year-old Chen Maozhang, together with Academician Liu Daxiang and Professor Chen Guang, jointly donated funds to initiate the "Aerospace Power, China's Heart" Education Fund. To date, the fund has raised nearly 20 million yuan in principal and has rewarded 20 teachers and 101 students nationwide. With the support of enterprises such as the Aviation Industry Corporation of China and Aero Engine Corporation of China, the scope of the awards has been extended to frontline technical personnel.

Now, at the age of 90, Chen Maozhang still follows the development of aerospace education. The various scholarships and education funds he helped establish are cultivating more aerospace talent, which may be the greatest comfort for an elderly academician—seeing the sparks he lit illuminating the future of China's aerospace endeavors.

Editor: Liu Tingting