On November 26, Professor Didier Queloz, a winner of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics, visited Beihang University as the first stop of his China tour.
Wang Yunpeng, President of Beihang University, met with Professor Didier Queloz at the Vision International Cultural Exchange Center. Nie Shengkui, Director of the Foreign Experts Service Department of Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS), and Zhao Weisheng, Vice President of Beihang University, also attended the meeting.
In his address, Wang Yunpeng extended a warm welcome to Professor Didier Queloz and sincerely thanked him for delivering a special lecture to Beihang teachers and students. He stated that Beihang University, as the first institution of higher education in aeronautics and astronautics established in New China, has always been committed to scientific and technological innovation and talent cultivation, and has always upheld the concept of openness, inclusiveness and the pursuit of excellence, achieving remarkable accomplishments in discipline construction, scientific research, and international education. He hoped that the two sides can enhance mutual trust, deepen cooperation in scientific exploration and talent cultivation, advance the progress of astronomy and earth sciences, and make greater contributions to exploring the mysteries of the universe and promoting scientific and technological progress.
Nie Shengkui warmly welcomed Professor Didier Queloz on behalf of the Foreign Experts Service Department of MOHRSS, and gave a brief introduction to the 22nd Conference on International Exchange of Professionals. He expected that Professor Didier Queloz could strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Chinese universities. He said the Department will also provide more support for the international education of Beihang University.
Professor Didier Queloz expressed his gratitude for the warm hospitality, and commended the enthusiastic interactions of the students attending Beihang Grand Lecture. He said that he was deeply inspired by students’ passion for academics and scientific research. He hoped that Beihang University could encourage students to conduct in-depth studies and devote themselves to scientific research, attract more international students, and cultivate more scientists. He looked forward to promoting more cooperation with Beihang University in fields such as astrophysics.
In the afternoon, Professor Didier Queloz delivered a special report, titled “The exoplanet revolution and the consequences for life in the Universe,” at Beihang Sunrise Concert Hall, attracting more than 800 teachers and students. Vice President Zhao Weisheng awarded the honorary certificate of “Beihang Grand Lecture” to Professor Didier Queloz.
During the lecture, Professor Didier Queloz introduced the discovery process of exoplanets, and vividly illustrated the importance of exoplanet exploration with the example of the planet “51 Pegasi b” discovered when analyzing the Sun-like star “51 Pegasi.” He also explored the implications of these findings for our understanding of the possibilities of life in the universe and suggested directions for future research in detecting Earth-like planets.
During the panel discussion session, six students had an in-depth exchange with Professor Didier Queloz around the topic of the lecture.
After the lecture, many students had further exchanges with Professor Didier Queloz, shared their understanding and ideas on life in the universe, and invited Professor Didier Queloz to take group photos.
During his stay, Professor Didier Queloz held discussions with faculty representatives from the School of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Astronautics, School of Physics, ShenYuan Honors College, Sino-French Engineer School, and School of Space and Earth Sciences, and exchanged views on topics such as international exchanges and cooperation, astrophysical research and teaching. He also visited the Center for Micro-Nano Innovation of Beihang (Beihang Nano).
Professor Didier Queloz was born in Switzerland in 1966. He is an astronomer, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physics and the Wolf Prize in Physics, Fellow of the Royal Society, Director of the Leverhulme Centre for Life in the Universe, Jacksonian Professor of Natural Philosophy at the University of Cambridge, and Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. His research mainly focuses on exoplanets, stellar physics, and life in the universe. He has published over 700 papers in academic journals such as Nature and Astronomy and Astrophysics.
Professor Didier Queloz has been jointly awarded the 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics along with Professor James Peebles and Professor Michel Mayor for their pioneering advances in physical cosmology, and the discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star. The Nobel Prize in Physics that year was awarded “for contributions to our understanding of the evolution of the universe and Earth’s place in the cosmos.”
Written by: Cheng Binchen, Gong Fan, Ren He
Photos by: Di Bailu
Reviewed by: Li Jianwei
Edited by: Jia Aiping
Translated by: Lyu Xingyun
