Organized by Peking University Aviation Club and the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics of the College of Engineering (COE), the 2013 Engineering Cultural Festival was recently opened at Peking University with a summit forum on the theme of aerospace.

Many distinguished scholars including Benjian Li, deputy director for equipment industry in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Baoyong Liu, member of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Xiaohua Gan, member of Chinese Academy of Engineering participated in the forum.

Over 300 representatives and students from Peking University, Tsinghua University, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (BUAA), and Civil Aviation University of China attended the opening ceremony, mastered by Secretary of COE Party Committee, Professor Wenchang Tan.

Mr. Jianben Li gave a keynote speech “The Aerospace Industry of China”. He pointed out that the development of the aviation industry in the future need to comprise and balance military and civilian use, and talents in the industry are most wanted.

Academician Xiaohua Gan gave a speech entitled "The Development of Aero-engine”. He said that the aero-engine is a very complex system which requires large and continued input from the country and can produce enormous value. The next decade will become an excellent opportunity for engine technology advancement, as the demand from civil aviation will continue to grow, he noted.

To discuss the development of China's aerospace industry, Professor Cunbiao Li, chair of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics in COE hosted a roundtable forum. Professor Jiezhi Wu, Chengqi Cheng, Daining Fang from COE and Professor Jun Huang from BUAA took part in the discussion on a variety of topics, such as fluid dynamics, space vehicle materials, deep space exploration, and hidden fighters. Students showed great interest and asked many questions.

After the opening ceremony, the 2013 engineering culture festival officially unveils, and will include four major types of activities in academic, exchange and culture in the next couple of months.