On June 18, internationally renowned plasma physicist Professor Liu Chen visited the School of Physical Science and Technology for academic exchange and delivered a special report titled "An Introduction to Magnetic Confinement Fusion Energy" to faculty and students. The event was attended by Li Zhuohui, Secretary of the School Party Committee, and Guo Jian, Deputy Secretary of the School Party Committee, along with over 300 faculty members and students from undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs. The activity was hosted by Professor Xu Yuhong of the School.
Professor Liu Chen is an internationally acclaimed plasma physicist, an academician of the Academia Sinica in Taiwan, a professor emeritus at the University of California, Irvine, and an honorary director of the Fusion Theory and Simulation Center at Zhejiang University. He is the first Chinese scientist to have simultaneously received the three highest awards in plasma physics. During the lecture, Professor Chen, with his extensive teaching and research experience, vividly introduced the background of plasma physics. Drawing on half a century of research experience, he used accessible language to guide the audience through the prospects of nuclear fusion energy—a ultimate solution addressing global energy challenges.
The report also shared Professor Chen's daily scientific work experiences. He encouraged young faculty and students to cultivate independent thinking, proactively reflect on their strengths, and conduct research with down-to-earth perseverance. He emphasized that quantitative accumulation may lead to qualitative breakthroughs and unexpected achievements. After the lecture, faculty and students continuously approached Professor Chen with questions, all of which he patiently addressed.
As a key component of Southwest Jiaotong University's "Chuangyuan Grand Lecture" series, this lecture broadened the horizons of faculty and students regarding cutting-edge research and further ignited their enthusiasm for scientific exploration.
