Du Qinghua

Quinghua Du, born in 1936 in China, studied at Hangzhou High School, and later was admitted to the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Jiaotong University, majoring in aeronautics. After graduating in 1940, he joined the Chengdu Aeronautical Research Institute and the College of Aeronautical Mechanics, engaging in research and teaching on engine thermodynamics and dynamics. In 1947, he obtained a Bachelor's degree in Engineering from Jiaotong University, and subsequently was permitted to study abroad in the United States at Stanford University for further studies.

During his studies in the United States, he earned a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1948, then transferred to Harvard University, where he studied fluid mechanics under Professor von Mises. In 1949, he earned a Master's degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Harvard, and later returned to Stanford University to conduct research on the mechanics of lightweight aerospace structures under the guidance of Professors Tikhonov and Guedel. During this period, the People's Republic of China was established; considering the needs of national development, he shifted his research focus to the mechanics of lightweight aerospace structures.

In 1951, he earned his Ph.D. in Engineering Mechanics in less than two years, and then returned to China in June of the same year. Before returning to China, he participated in establishing the China-US Scientific and Technological Association, serving as the international publicity officer and the head of the Gulf region. After returning home, Du Qinghua taught at Peking University and Tsinghua University, where he served as a professor and director of the Mechanics Teaching and Research Group. He played a significant role during the restructuring of university departments.

In 1967, he was a pioneer in China advocating for research on the finite element method, and in 1982 published the country's first systematic paper introducing the boundary element method. In the late 1970s, he led a research team that achieved multiple innovations in the application of boundary element methods in engineering, and developed the boundary element-finite element coupling method. Based on this, his research group repeatedly received national science and technology awards.

Du Qinghua actively promoted international academic exchanges, invited to lecture in countries such as the UK, Italy, and Japan, and hosted multiple international conferences. He facilitated academic交流 between China and Japan regarding boundary element methods. He also held important positions in academic organizations and participated in organizing and planning international academic conferences.

In talent cultivation, he personally taught and trained numerous professionals in engineering mechanics, including Ph.D. and master's students. He authored China's first comprehensive engineering mechanics reference book and guided the development of many related textbooks, laying a solid foundation for the field's development in China.

In 1997, he was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. He served as a director of the Chinese Society of Mechanics and as a member of several major international academic organizations. He published numerous academic papers and authored multiple books. He passed away on November 5, 2006, at the age of 87. To honor his contributions, Tsinghua University established the "Du Qinghua Scholarship" and the "Du Qinghua Mechanics and Engineering Award," to recognize his outstanding contributions to mechanics and engineering.