Qian Weichang

Chien Wei-zang or Qian Weichang (simplified Chinese: 钱伟长; traditional Chinese: 錢偉長; pinyin: Qián Wěicháng) (9 October 1912 – 30 July 2010) was a Chinese physicist and applied mathematician, as well as academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Chien, a scientist and educator, was the President of Shanghai University. He was born in Wuxi County, Jiangsu Province, China, on October 9, 1912. After graduating from Tsinghua University in 1935, he entered the Graduate School of Tsinghua University and became an intern researcher at the National Central Research Institute under the guidance of Prof. Wu Youxun. He obtained a Ph.D. degree at the University of Toronto under the supervision of Prof. J.L. Synge in 1942, and then worked as a research associate in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of Caltech.

In 1946, Chien returned to China and served as professor of Tsinghua University, Peking University and Yanjing University. In 1950s, he was Dean of Studies and Vice President of Tsinghua University, Vice Director of the Institute of Mechanics of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Director of the Institute of Automation of CAS, and a member of the Standing Committee of All China Federation of Scientific Societies. He had been an academician of CAS (formerly named as member of CAS) since 1954 and a foreign academician of Polish Academy of Sciences since 1956.