Bridges arch like rainbows over rivers, turning past barriers into thoroughfares; roads traverse mountains and seas, connecting us closely. Behind all this stands a silent and dedicated worker, dedicating 33 years of unwavering effort. He is passionate about building roads and bridges, deeply imprinting the academic research papers on the land of our motherland. He is Wang Hailiang, the recipient of the National May 1st Labor Medal in 2024, and a professor at the School of Civil Engineering of Tianjin Chengjian University.
Wang Hailiang, Tianjin Chengjian University, provided the image.
"As a teacher, prioritizing educating and nurturing students is essential. Actively learning advanced educational concepts, delving deep into teaching research topics, and promoting university teaching reforms are crucial. Additionally, supporting teaching with research, delivering professional knowledge to students comprehensively and vividly. Step by step, solidly doing well in educational work." Despite being busy and tired, Wang Hailiang always adheres to the front line of teaching, guiding students to integrate theory with practice with profound knowledge and practical experience.
He dedicates his daytime to teaching and administrative work at the college, and evenings are spent on teaching research, paper writing, and project applications. Even with a severe eye condition affecting his right eye and extremely poor eyesight, he persists in writing textbooks and fulfilling his teaching responsibilities as a role model.
Wang Hailiang teaches three undergraduate courses each year, completing over 2500 teaching hours in the past five years and mentoring 22 postgraduate students. He not only imparts solid professional skills to students but also emphasizes the cultivation of humanistic sentiments, guiding students to strive for excellence, actively participate in various professional competitions. Students under his guidance have won two national awards and four provincial awards. "Seeing students grow and succeed, actively contributing to society, is the most gratifying thing for me."
Students refer to Wang Hailiang as the "Civil Engineering God." "Mr. Wang's classes usually require early seat reservations. He teaches with great passion and can explain abstract theories in a very vivid manner." He deeply cares about students' healthy growth, actively showing concern and care for students facing economic or learning difficulties. He often chats with students, encouraging them to strive for self-improvement, and has successfully helped several undergraduate students with psychological and academic challenges to graduate. Students have a deep affection for Wang Hailiang, expressing their praise for the course and reluctance to part with Mr. Wang through warm applause at the end of each semester.
In addition to teaching, in the field of research, focusing on the complex stress during the construction process of large-span bridge structures, Wang Hailiang leads his team to the forefront of the industry. For over 30 years, he has persistently adhered to the concept of writing papers on the land of the motherland, providing technical services for over a hundred bridges and applying his expertise in controlling the construction process of large-span bridges to complex engineering projects.
Over the years, the bridges he has served cover over a hundred national and local major infrastructure construction projects, spanning 22 provinces and autonomous regions across the country. These include the Tianjin Rail Transit Z4 Line and Xiongxin High-Speed Railway Yanzihe Extra-Large Bridge constructed by China Railway 18th Bureau Group Co., Ltd., as well as the Ganhaizi Extra-Large Bridge on the Beijing-Kunming Expressway and extending to major infrastructure projects in countries along the Belt and Road Initiative such as the Yawan High-Speed Railway in Georgia and the northern highway in Georgia. These efforts have contributed to the Ganhaizi Extra-Large Bridge project and the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Railway winning the Zhan Tianyou Award and the National Quality Engineering Gold Award, respectively.
