The discipline of Mechanics at Southeast University was founded in 1952 under the leadership of Professors Qianshan Hu and Zhiming Liang. Since the early 1960s, it has enrolled undergraduate and postgraduate students in mechanics and has gradually developed into a comprehensive discipline with a solid academic foundation, distinctive research strengths, and broad social influence. It was authorized to confer doctoral degrees in the second-level disciplines of Engineering Mechanics and Solid Mechanics in 2003 and 2005, respectively, and was later granted the right to confer master’s and doctoral degrees in the first-level discipline of Mechanics in 2006 and 2018. At present, the discipline is supported by a number of high-level teaching and research platforms, including Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Mechanical Analysis for Infrastructure and Advanced Equipment. It has twice received the National Teaching Achievement Award and, in recent years, has won more than ten national and provincial awards for scientific and technological achievements.

Guided by the mission of fostering talents with a global outlook, social responsibility, and professional excellence, the discipline is dedicated to educating high-level professionals with a solid and broad foundation in mechanics, systematic and in-depth expertise, and the capability to address key mechanics problems in major engineering fields independently. It aims to cultivate future academic leaders, engineering scientists, and innovative professionals who will contribute to scientific progress, engineering development, and social well-being.

The discipline currently covers four second-level sub-disciplines and has established distinctive strengths in both fundamental research and engineering applications. It has achieved notable progress in frontier studies of mechanics as well as in addressing critical mechanics challenges arising from major national engineering needs. In recent years, the discipline has continuously undertaken a series of major research projects, including major scientific instrument development projects and key projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, as well as national major science and technology projects and national defense basic research programs. Its research has been effectively applied in defense, aerospace, civil engineering, transportation, and other important fields.

Major research areas include testing technologies and analytical methods for solid mechanics at extreme scales; damage and failure of materials, structures, and equipment; multiphysics and multiscale simulation and analysis; and dynamics and control of major infrastructure and defense equipment. Relying on the strong engineering background of Southeast University, the discipline has formed a close integration with such advantageous fields as civil engineering, materials science, transportation engineering, and mechanical engineering. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, shared high-quality research resources, and joint participation in major national research programs, it continues to identify and solve key mechanics problems in engineering practice while promoting the emergence of new research directions.

The discipline places equal emphasis on knowledge foundation, innovation capability, and engineering practice. Its education system is supported by several national experimental teaching centers and engineering research centers of Southeast University, providing students with a comprehensive training environment characterized by strong fundamentals, broad interdisciplinary exposure, and close links to engineering applications. A collaborative teaching team composed of core faculty members from mechanics and related engineering disciplines has been established to promote the cultivation of versatile and innovative talents. Over the past decade, more than 80% of doctoral graduates have joined universities and research institutes, while nearly 80% of master’s graduates have entered enterprises and government sectors. A considerable proportion of alumni have grown into senior academics, technical leaders, and managerial professionals in their respective fields.

Internationalization is one of the key features of the discipline. It is committed to cultivating leading talents in mechanics with global vision and international competence. The discipline has established regular cooperation, exchange, and joint training mechanisms with more than ten world-class universities, including the University of California, Berkeley. More than 30 postgraduate students were funded to carry out joint research abroad. It has also developed an institutionalized semester-long exchange program with KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. This integrated international innovation program for undergraduate and postgraduate education has been honored with the title of the “Zhou Enlai Class.” In addition, more than 60 postgraduate students have participated in international summer schools, academic salons and seminars, overseas internships and practical training, and short-term courses.

Students of the discipline have demonstrated outstanding performance in international competitions and practical engineering activities. They have won 20 top international awards, including a Gold Medal at the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions, First Prize in the International Student Competition in Engineering Mechanics (team event), and First Prize in the Mathematical Contest in Modeling in the United States. Meanwhile, 35 students have participated in major engineering practice projects in Europe, North America, Africa, and countries along the Belt and Road, including the Maputo Bridge project, the largest cross-sea bridge in Africa.

The discipline also maintains a high level of academic openness and influence through sustained domestic and international exchanges. By organizing international and national academic conferences, inviting distinguished scholars from home and abroad, carrying out joint doctoral training with renowned overseas universities, and hosting a series of influential academic activities such as the Advanced Workshop on Experimental Mechanics, the annual Graduate Summer School, and the Distinguished Scholars Forum, the discipline has continuously expanded its academic reputation and influence in the international mechanics community.

With a long history, a strong academic foundation, distinctive disciplinary strengths, a high-level faculty team, and an increasingly international educational environment, the discipline of Mechanics at Southeast University will continue to pursue excellence in teaching, research, and talent cultivation, and to contribute to the advancement of mechanics and the sustainable development of society.

International Engineering Mechanics Contest (Gold Medal)，location: Belarusian State University of Transport

Fluid Mechanics Laboratory

Science Popularization Base

Experimental teaching activities