South China University of Technology, formerly known as South China Institute of Technology, can be traced back to the first class A industrial school in Guangdong Province established in 1918, formally established in 1952 in the adjustment of the national colleges and universities, is based on the School of Engineering of Sun Yat-sen University, the School of Science and Technology of South China United University, the Engineering Department and major of the School of Science and Technology of Lingnan University, and Guangdong Industrial College, and transferred to Hunan University, Wuchang Zhonghua University, Wuhan Jiaotong University, Nanchang University, Guangxi University and other five colleges and universities Some engineering departments and majors are formed. It is one of the four major engineering colleges in New China; In 1960, it became a national key university; In 1988, it was renamed South China University of Technology.
Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, President and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of South China University of Technology.
Zhang Liqun, born in December 1969, is a native of Duolun County, Xilin Gol League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, president and deputy secretary of the Party Committee of South China University of Technology, and chairman of the presidium of China Rubber Industry Association. He has made outstanding achievements in scientific and technological research, technological innovation and transformation in the field of rubber.
Zhang Liqun's academic career began in 1986 when he studied for a bachelor's degree in rubber and plastic engineering from the Department of Polymers at Beijing University of Chemical Technology, where he received his bachelor's degree in 1990. He then pursued a master's degree and a doctorate degree at Beijing University of Chemical Technology, completing his studies in 1992 and 1995, respectively. During his Ph.D., he was a visiting scholar and postdoctoral fellow at the University of Akron and Case Western Reserve University.
In terms of career, Zhang Liqun joined Beijing University of Chemical Technology as a lecturer in 1995 and was later promoted to associate professor and professor. He was a visiting scholar at the University of Akron from 1999 to 2000 and a postdoctoral fellow at Case Western Reserve University from 2000 to 2001. In 2008, he was awarded the National Distinguished Young Scholars** Grant, which shows his outstanding contribution to academic research.
From 2016 to 2020, Zhang Liqun served as the dean of the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Beijing University of Chemical Technology, and played an active role in promoting the development of the school. In May 2020, he was transferred to the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of Beijing University of Chemical Technology.
Zhang's academic influence is not only reflected in the more than 400 published articles, but also in the honor of being an Elsevier China Highly Cited Researcher from 2014 to 2019. As the first winner, he has won two second prizes of the National Technological Invention Award and one second prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award, and has more than 200 Chinese invention patents.
In the scientific research and practice in the field of rubber, Zhang Liqun has provided strong support for the major needs of the country and achieved significant economic and social benefits through the exploration of the theory and technology of high-performance rubber materials, green rubber materials, special functional rubber materials and other research directions. His outstanding contributions to the field of rubber have made him an outstanding leader in the field.
In terms of teaching, Zhang Liqun adheres to the front line of undergraduate teaching with a diligent and conscientious attitude. He pays attention to the introduction of scientific research materials and examples, and achieves ideal classroom teaching results by telling complex theoretical knowledge in simple terms and vividly. At the same time, he attaches great importance to the cultivation of students' engineering practice ability, and has achieved remarkable results by creating a number of student practice bases and personally leading students to conduct production practice.
In November 2021, Zhang Liqun was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and was highly recognized for his long-term scientific and technological research and contributions in the field of rubber. In August 2022, he was appointed President and Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of South China University of Technology, and in January 2024, he also served as Vice Chairman of Guangdong Association for Science and Technology.