(Source: "Guangming Daily" 2024-06-03)
“As long as it is needed by the country and society, it is worth doing.” In September 2022, the video of Yang Shie, an academician born in the 1990s, giving a class to the freshmen born in the 2000s flooded WeChat Moments.
In class, 91-year-old Yang Shie, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a professor at Harbin Engineering University, spoke affectionately, using his life experiences full of patriotism, ambition to strengthen the country, and service to the country to guide young students to devote themselves to national defense construction.
The subject of hydroacoustics is of special importance to national security - in seawater, only sound waves can propagate long distances. Almost all mankind's dreams of "catching turtles in the five oceans" must rely on the development of hydroacoustics science. As one of the founders of hydroacoustic engineering in my country and one of the earliest research experts in the field of hydroacoustics in the country, Yang Shie participated in the development of hydroacoustic positioning systems and completed a series of long-baseline, short-baseline and ultra-short-baseline hydroacoustic positioning systems. He has contributed to the construction of hydroacoustic disciplines in China and the formulation of hydroacoustic development plans. He has provided "ears" and "eyes" for my country's thousands of miles of sea territory and built a strong "underwater national gate."
It is regrettable that on March 19, 2024, Yang Shie passed away suddenly. This great gentleman who dedicated his life to educating young people and serving his country is gone.
Whether he is on the frontline of scientific research or on a three-foot podium, whether in his youth or in his old age, he always stands firm and upright, adhering to his most determined love and choice. He is affectionately called the "one-stop" academician by the students.
His scientific research path began at the beginning of the founding of New China. There is only one criterion for choosing a research direction - to let the poor, weak and impoverished motherland "stand up" with confidence.
This strong patriotism stems from his childhood experience. Yang Shie was born in 1931. At that time, war was raging all over China. He and his family were displaced, hungry and cold, and moved to Henan, Tianjin, Beijing, Chongqing and other places. The seed of the dream of a powerful country took root and sprouted deep in his heart. In 1947, he was admitted to the Department of Physics of Tsinghua University. On the occasion of graduation, the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea began. He heard that the newly established Dalian First Naval w88 casino was in short supply of physics teachers, so he signed up to join the army and taught at the w88 casino. In 1952, when the Harbin Military Engineering Institute (the predecessor of Harbin Engineering University) was under preparation, he was transferred to the north. In 1957, he was sent to the Soviet Union and changed his career to study hydroacoustics, which was urgently needed by the country. In just seven years, Yang Shie changed his majors from general physics to astronomical surveying to hydrographic surveying, all for the needs of his motherland.
While studying in the Soviet Union, Yang Shie discovered that two key technology laboratories were closed to foreigners.
"If you want to learn or buy truly cutting-edge things from abroad, you can't do it." Yang Shie set his ambition: to solve key problems for the country, do it yourself! Therefore, after returning to China, Yang Shie established my country's first comprehensive hydroacoustic engineering major that combines science and engineering to serve national defense construction in Kazakhstan Military Industry. Today, Harbin Engineering University has become a talent pool, expert pool and basic research center for hydroacoustic technology for the development of the national hydroacoustic industry. More than 60% of professional technicians and more than 70% of senior experts in my country's hydroacoustic industry come from here.
Yang Shie’s contribution to my country’s hydroacoustic industry goes far beyond that. He played a central role in formulating my country's hydroacoustic development plan, determining the research direction of hydroacoustic disciplines, and guiding my country's major hydroacoustic scientific research and engineering projects. As the earliest proposer and technical decision-maker of China's hydroacoustic positioning method, Yang Shie laid a solid foundation for the development of the positioning system of the "Jiaolong" manned submersible that was independently designed and independently developed by my country. As one of the pioneers in hydrodynamic noise research in China, he presided over the design and construction of my country's first acoustic research center. The "gravity-type low-noise water tunnel" he researched solved an unresolved problem in the world; as the captain and chief scientist of my country's first comprehensive acoustic scientific expedition team to the South China Sea, he led the team to plan and run for ten years, and finally promoted the successful scientific expedition, taking the first step for China's hydroacoustic community to move from shallow seas to deep seas...
After retirement, Yang Shie still kept walking. At the age of 90, he also participated in two scientific expeditions.
All kinds of honors and titles come one after another. Yang Shie, however, often absents himself from award-winning events—when receiving the award conflicts with frequent maritime experiments and academic conferences, he always chooses the latter without hesitation. "Instead of standing on the podium, it is better for me to stand on the podium, teach the students properly, and answer their questions."
Indeed, Yang Shie not only “stands” firmly in the field of scientific research, but also “stands” persistently in the position of educating people.
Although Yang Shie is busy with scientific research all year round, he never relaxes in teaching. When he encounters important scientific research tasks and requires him to go out, he will adjust his class time and make up for the students as soon as possible after returning.
“I was lucky to have met many good teachers when I was young. I know the importance of good teachers to people, so I must teach young people well.” Even in his old age, Yang Shie is still responsible for many teaching tasks from undergraduates, masters to doctoral students. He carefully prepares every class and insists on standing up to teach everyone. The students looked distressed and moved chairs for him, but every time he moved away with a smile: "Ever since I started working as a teacher, I have been used to standing up and speaking. This is so good! I speak comfortably and everyone can see clearly."
“I don’t dare to be lazy even for a moment in my teacher’s class.” said Pu Shengchun, a professor at the w88 casino of Hydroacoustic Engineering of Harbin Institute of Technology. He had been studying with Yang Shie when he was a graduate student. The seriousness and rigor of his lectures had a profound impact on him. "When I was a first-year graduate student, my husband offered a course on 'Principles of Underwater Acoustic Propagation'. I was the only student in this research field. However, in every class, my husband carefully arranged the books on the floor and filled the entire blackboard. The course of dozens of hours was completed from beginning to end, and he never cut corners."
"Sir is not only serious in class, but also meticulous in conducting scientific research and experiments." Li Xiukun, a professor at the w88 casino of Hydroacoustic Engineering of Harbin Engineering University, followed Yang Shie to do field experiments for the first time, and refreshed his own understanding. "I thought that as the project leader, I would just sit and direct, but I didn't expect that from the assembly of test equipment to the location of the on-site arrays and the monitoring of marine hydrological conditions, I personally visited the front line to provide detailed inquiries and on-site solutions."
"There are no tricks in scientific research. If you fool it, it will fool you. Only if you are honest and disciplined, the things you do will be real." Under Yang Shie's strict requirements, the team did enough homework before each test, and almost never had any problems due to insufficient preparation during sea trials.
"Sir not only taught us knowledge, allowing us to 'stand upright' in research; he also taught us life, allowing us to 'stand upright' throughout our lives." Zhang Haigang, deputy dean of the w88 casino of Hydroacoustic Engineering of Harbin Engineering University, was "miserably criticized" when he first met his husband. "The first time I went to his home, I didn't listen to my senior brother's advice. I persuaded him to carry a bag of apples out of politeness. The smiling gentleman suddenly said with a serious face: "I have already made a rule that students are not allowed to give gifts. Even if it is out of good intentions, it cannot encourage bad behavior!" I had to carry the apples back. The tradition of not allowing students to spend a penny continues to this day.
Nurture virtue with frugality and be as calm as water. Yang Shie lives a simple life, with an old jacket, an old watch and an old bicycle accompanying him all year round. When flying on business trips, I always buy red-eye flights with lower fares, go out to sea to do experiments, and try to rent cheap and practical civilian ships. "Our country needs money everywhere, so we can save scientific research funds and use them wisely." But he was very generous to his students. He successively donated 3 million yuan to establish education funds to his hometown Nanyang Institute of Technology, his alma mater Nankai Middle w88 casino, and the w88 casino of Underwater Acoustic Engineering of Harbin Engineering University.
As one of the first batch of doctoral supervisors in my country, Yang Shie has trained more than 110 masters and doctoral students. In 2022, Yang Shie won the honorary title of "National Model of Teaching and Education".
"Ye Ye, his warrior, guarded the sea with thousands of masts and sails; I, the elite, opened up a w88 casino of knowledge and listened to the sound of water." This man has passed away, but the water sound career he pioneered and the spirit of casting souls and educating people are like towering beacons on the vast sea, guiding those who come after us to jointly protect the vast maritime territory of the motherland...
