(Source: Xinhua News Agency 2024-09-19)

Our country is a large maritime country with a coastline of more than 32,000 kilometers. Yang Shie, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor of Harbin Engineering University, is a name resounding in China’s hydroacoustic community.

Yang Shie teaches the students the first lesson of the semester. Xinhua News Agency (file photo)

As the founder of my country's hydroacoustic engineering discipline and one of the pioneers of hydroacoustic science and technology, Yang Shie adheres to the fine tradition of "Harbin Military Industry" and devotes himself to hydroacoustic scientific research. He leads the team to conquer a series of key core technologies, promotes major innovation breakthroughs, completes the first large-scale deep sea acoustic comprehensive survey mission independently commanded and implemented by Chinese scientists, and devotes his life to the motherland.

On March 19 this year, Yang Shie passed away in Harbin due to illness at the age of 93. "Being a man, doing things and learning, serving ships, seas and national defense", under his inspiration, a large number of hydrosonic talents urgently needed by the country fulfilled the dream of a powerful country and guarded thousands of miles of maritime borders.

Photos of Yang Shie in college. Xinhua News Agency (file photo)

Dedicate yourself to the country and "listen to the sea" for the country

Yang Shie was born in 1931. Having experienced war and displacement since childhood, he developed a strong desire to "study to save and serve the country." After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he resolutely signed up to join the army while studying in the Physics Department of Tsinghua University, and later taught at the First Naval w88 casino (now the Dalian Naval Academy of the Navy).

In 1952, preparations for the establishment of the Military Engineering College of the Chinese People's Liberation Army began. This is my country's first comprehensive higher military technical college. Because the w88 casino is located in Harbin, it is called "Harbin Military Industry", which is the predecessor of Harbin Engineering University. Yang Shi'e went north again.

In 1957, Yang Shie was sent to the Soviet Union for further study. At that time, my country's hydroacoustics discipline urgently needed to fill the gap, so he changed his career from astronomy to the study of hydroacoustics. Because light waves and electromagnetic waves are "difficult to travel" in water, sound waves can travel long distances.

During this period, Yang Shie discovered that two key technology laboratories were tightly closed to foreigners like him. “It’s impossible to learn or buy truly cutting-edge things from abroad. You have to do it yourself. "He secretly made up his mind: China's "ears" must be allowed to understand the voice of the sea. This is the backbone of a country and a nation.

Yang Shie at work. Xinhua News Agency (file photo)

In 1960, after returning to China, Yang Shie chose to start from scratch and established my country's first comprehensive hydroacoustic engineering major that combined science and engineering with complete supporting facilities and served the national strategy in Kazakhstan Military Industry. He found time to delve into theory, write textbooks, and launched courses and textbooks such as "Principles of Underwater Noise", the world's earliest book focusing on the mechanism of underwater noise, "Principles of Acoustics", the earliest domestic book on acoustic theory, and "Principles of Underwater Sound Propagation."

For more than 70 years, China's hydroacoustic discipline has grown from scratch, from weak to strong, from routine to specialized, and Yang Shie has always led the way forward. Whether it is the development of marine resources such as marine mineral exploration, ship navigation, underwater operations, or the important task of protecting maritime borders, it is inseparable from hydroacoustics and the foundation he laid.

In the mid-1980s, Yang Shie (left) guided students in the laboratory. Xinhua News Agency (file photo)

Innovation continues, heading towards “Deep Blue”

The South China Sea is my country’s deepest and largest sea area and an important sea channel. In April 1994, a long-awaited expedition by the Chinese hydroacoustic community finally took place. This is my country's first comprehensive hydroacoustic scientific survey of strategic significance, and it can be called the first step in China's hydroacoustic "from shallow sea to deep sea".

The two hydroacoustic scientific research ships are flying the five-star red flag, carrying nearly a hundred scientific researchers and moving steadily. Yang Shie serves as the captain and chief scientist of the expedition team. Traveling near the equator, the temperature on the deck was close to 70 degrees Celsius. It was unbearably hot, and there was no fresh water. He, who was over sixty years old, boiled the ballast water with oily flowers floating on the ship and drank it.

“If you want to ‘go to the five oceans to catch turtles’, you have to fight hard. Doing scientific research is like fighting, and you must bite your teeth when it’s time to bite. "Recalling the time when I went to sea with my teacher, Yang Desen, who is also an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, still cannot forget it.

was the first to propose the hydroacoustic positioning method, laying the foundation for my country's independently designed and developed "Jiaolong" manned submersible; he presided over the design and construction of my country's first "gravity-type low-noise water tunnel" for acoustic research; he always played an important role in formulating my country's hydroacoustic development plan, determining the direction of hydroacoustic research, and guiding major hydroacoustic scientific research and engineering projects... In the field of hydroacoustic scientific research in my country, Yang Shie is always at the forefront.

In 2016, the State Oceanic Administration awarded the 85-year-old Yang Shie the "Lifelong Contribution to the Ocean" commemorative medal, but his struggle never stopped. Development of test equipment, monitoring of marine hydrological conditions, sea trial data analysis... He insisted on participating in scientific research sea trials and scientific inspections, and participated in and planned many projects.

"Although the sun sets behind Cangshan Mountain, it still reflects the red sunset glow in the sky." At the 90th birthday ceremony, Yang Shie's sonorous words were inspiring.

Yang Shie (middle) explains the underwater acoustic experiment to the students. Xinhua News Agency (file photo)

Concentrate on academic studies and cultivate "post-waves"

“The ocean is our ‘blue land’ and needs to be loved, protected and guarded by everyone.” In decades of teaching and talent training, Yang Shie is keen to pass on the concept of ocean to people.

Until he was an octogenarian, he still devoted himself to teaching and scientific research, insisting on teaching undergraduates, and almost all of his lectures were standing up. He was known as a "post-90s scholar" who "stopped to the end".

Write neat writing on the blackboard, talk about cutting-edge knowledge, have calm eyes, loud voice, slow and wise... Whenever the class ends, many students stand up and applaud, and some rush to the podium to ask questions and take photos with him, and he all responds.

Students said that if they ask him to review the paper, they will get feedback in a day or two, and the revision comments will be clearly written. Sometimes he goes to other places for meetings. As soon as he returns to w88 casino, the first thing he does is make up for the missed classes.

Colleagues said that they almost never saw him lose his temper, but he never became angry or arrogant; they never saw him showing fatigue or panic. He was always commanding calmly and decisively.

According to statistics, Yang Shie has trained more than 110 master's and doctoral students in hydroacoustics, most of whom have grown into scientific research and academic backbones. Three academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering in the field of hydroacoustics in my country have been mentored by him. He has been awarded titles such as "National Model for Teaching and Educating", "National Outstanding Scientific and Technological Worker", and "Longjiang Model".

“Education is about imparting knowledge and solving doubts. Those who have been taught lessons and experienced mistakes should help young people avoid detours.” “It is necessary to connect theoretical research with engineering practice, and to combine personal future with the needs of the country”...

Now, bearing in mind his original intention and following in his footsteps, a large number of scientific and technological talents who are able to take on important roles and shoulder important responsibilities are forging ahead and making new contributions to the comprehensive promotion of the construction of a strong country and the great cause of national rejuvenation.