The old man looked back on his life in the sick bed, calling himself "chain man". He said: "Before the age of 80, I was like a ‘chain', and was ‘hung on' a number of tasks. I've exceeded every task, so I was an excellent ‘chain man’", he added, "I was relieved when I finally completed the glorious mission of ‘chain man'." He is an outstanding alumnus of Tianjin University—Academician Wu Ziliang.

"God Helps Those Who Help Themselves"

Academician Wu was born in Qianwu Village, Pujiang County, Zhejiang Province on December 25, 1917. Having lost his father while still a child, he was raised by his mother, brother and sister. He studied hard since childhood, and was admitted to Peiyang Institute of Technology (predecessor of Tianjin University) in 1935. He majored in mining and metallurgy, then transferred to aviation machinery.

After graduation, he was assigned to the design department of the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Plant in Lei Yun, Yunnan Province as a designer, and then served as the deputy engineer of the Central Machinery Plant.

Wu Ziliang went to study in the United States with the financial support of his eldest sister in 1943. He studied in the Department of Metallurgy of Carnegie Institute of Technology (Carnegie Mellon University) in Pittsburgh, USA, and received his Doctor of Science in 1948. After graduation, he stayed at the Carnegie Institute of Metal Research for postdoctoral research.

Academician Wu Ziliang’s certificate of Doctor's degree (the original is donated to Tianjin University by Mr. Wu's relatives)

After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, he returned to China at the end of 1950 by way of Hong Kong and served as a professor in the Department of Metallurgy, Tangshan Institute of Technology, Northern Jiaotong University (Southwest Jiaotong University).

In the summer of 1951, Wu Ziliang was employed as a researcher of the Engineering Laboratory of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Shanghai Metallurgy Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences). He worked at the scientific research on physical metallurgy, and successively held important positions such as the director of the Physical Metallurgy Lab, deputy director-general and dean of academic committee.

Mr. Wu insisted that “God helps those who help themselves”. If you want to succeed, you can't rely on others, but make your own efforts. It was with such a belief that Wu Ziliang worked hard and excelled in his studies. Finally, he achieved great accomplishments which are regarded as honors for China.

Academician Wu Ziliang’s Manuscript (the original was donated to Tianjin University by his relatives)

Academician Wu Ziliang’s Handwriting

Merits of the “chain man”

As a material scientist, Mr. Wu Ziliang has been committed to the research and development of key practical materials urgently needed by the national economic and defense construction, as well as the basic research on materials science. He studied on a wide range of research fields, such as metals, semiconductors and oxide superconductors.

He and his research group have made great achievements since his return to China in 1950 until his death in 2008:

In the 1950s, they took the lead in developing the substitute of the then Soviet Union’s low alloy steel 40x, which promoted China's own alloy steel system;

In the 1960s, they independently developed an A-level separation membrane, the core component of uranium isotope separation, which made a great contribution to the modernization of the atomic energy industry;

In the 1970s, the research on the silicon material quality factors for large-scale synthetic circuits was proposed and directed, and many achievements were made by academician Wu Ziliang and his research group;

In 1980, he was elected to be a member of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Academician);

Since the 1980s, Wu Ziliang had devoted himself to studying oxygen’s diffusion behavior in high temperature superconductor oxides, despite his advanced age;

In September 1999, on the 50th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, he was awarded the medal for his achievements by the CPC Central Committee, the State Council and the Central Military Commission.

Wu Ziliang’s Academician Certificate and work certificate (the original was donated to Tianjin University by his relatives)

Legion of Merit and Certificate of Academician Wu's (the copies were donated to Tianjin University by his relatives)

Academician Wu’s Certificate of the First prize for the National Award for Technological Invention (the photo was donated to Tianjin University by Academician Wu's relatives)

With profound knowledge, rigorous attitude and approachable style, Academician Wu Ziliang has been working tirelessly in the front line of scientific research for decades, making contributions to China, and is highly respected by everyone.

By: Zhao Jiabing

Editors: Keith Harrington, Sun Xiaofang