3 Young SJTU Professors Die of Illness

Three young professors at Shanghai Jiao Tong University have died in the past three months.

They are Zhang Weiping, 51, deputy director of the National Key Laboratory of Micro/Nano machine Technology; Lai Xinmin, 58, director of the National Engineering Research Center for Automotive Power and Intelligent Contro; and Zhao Gang, 48, chief physician of gastrointestinal surgery at Renji Hospital in Shanghai. All three were members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Deputy Director of National Key Laboratory Died

On March 21, the School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering of Shanghai Jiao Tong University issued a donation proposal, disclosing that Zhang Weiping, a CCP member, researcher of the School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), and deputy director of the National Key Laboratory, died on March 10 at the age of 51 due to a sudden illness. The notice advises teachers from SJTU to help Zhang’s family overcome the difficulties.

Zhang Weiping, born in 1971, was a professor at the School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, SJTU, doctoral supervisor, Deputy Director of the National Key Laboratory of Micron/Nanomachine Technology, Perkin Outstanding Scientist of the Chinese Society of Micron and Nanotechnology, member of the National Micro-electromechanical Technology Standardization Technical Committee, member of the Inertial Instrument and Component Professional Committee, and member of the Inertia Technology Society of Shanghai. He was selected for the New Century Outstanding Talents Support Plan of China’s Ministry of Education, the Talent Development Fund Support Plan of Shanghai, the Morning Star Outstanding Young Scholars Award Program of SJTU, and the winner of the National Technological Invention Award.

Over the years, Zhang researched intelligent unmanned Microsystems, biomimetic micro-robots, micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), micro-inertia technology, analog-digital embedded circuit detection and control, and related technologies. As a backbone, he has presided over or participated in over 100 projects of the 863 Program, National Natural Science Foundation project; 973 Program, pre-research of final assembly; and other provincial and ministerial level projects. His research achievements in non-silicon MEMS technology, micro-inertia technology, micro-biomimetic robot, biological microfluidic chip, MEMS security technology, and other aspects have won the national technology invention Second prize, Shanghai Technology Invention First Prize, and other scientific and technological awards over ten times. He has published over 200 papers and 4 monographs in academic journals and conferences at home and abroad. He has applied for more than 200 invention patents (over 180 were authorized) and obtained 10 national software Copyrights.

SJTU Professors Who Died

Zhang Weiping is one of three young professor at SJTU to die in the past three months.

On Jan. 5, Lai Xinmin, a professor at SJTU, director of the Institute of Thin Plate Structure Manufacturing, College of Mechanical and Power Engineering, director of the National Engineering Research Center of Automotive Power and Intelligent Control, and director of Shanghai Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacture of Complex Thin Plate Structures, died in Shanghai at the age of 58.

Sources said Lai had been infected with COVID-19 and returned to work six days after recuperating. However, the illness suddenly relapsed on the same day, and he died about two hours later.

Lai was honored as a special professor of Changjiang (Yangtze River) Scholar by China’s Ministry of Education in 2009 and became the chief scientist of Program 973 in 2013.

On Dec. 25, 2022, Zhao Gang, a doctoral supervisor, and chief physician of the gastrointestinal surgery department of Renji Hospital, Affiliated with the School of Medicine, SJTU, died of illness at 48.

Zhao has been honored as the excellent Discipline leader by Shanghai Municipal Health and Family Planning Commission, the “Research Physician” by SJTU’s School of Medicine, the “New Long March Pace-Setter” in Shanghai, and the “Ten Outstanding Youth” by Shanghai Pudong New Area. He won the third Prize in the Shanghai Science and Technology Progress, the “Xinglin  Teaching Award” of the School of Medicine, SJTU, and the third prize in science and Technology of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine in Shanghai.

Four Well-Known SJTU Academicians Died

According to incomplete statistics, at least four other well-known academicians and professors at SJTU died of illness in the past three months since the end of 2022.

On Dec.21, 2022, Liu Tong, a CCP member, expert on Party history and military history, professor of history at the School of Humanities at SJTU, a researcher at the Academy of War Justice and World Peace, and a chief expert at the Research Center for Party History and Party Construction of the CCP, died at the age of 71. Liu was a researcher at the Academy of Military Sciences.

On Jan. 4, Ge Xiurun, a CCP member, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, researcher of the Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, professor at SJTU, and rock mechanics expert, died of illness in Wuhan at the age of 88. He was engaged in rock mechanics and major geotechnical engineering research for a long time. He has participated in analyzing the Three Gorges Dam project and won several scientific and technological awards conferred by the CCP regime.

On Jan. 14, Zhang Shengdao, a tenured professor and chief physician of Ruijin Hospital Affiliated with the School of Medicine, SJTU, former director of Surgery of Ruijin Hospital, honorary director of Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, former head of Pancreatic Surgery Group of Chinese Medical Association Surgery Society, former deputy head of Biliary Surgery Group of Chinese Medical Association Surgery Society, and recipient of the special government allowance from the CCP’s State Council, died in Ruijin Hospital at the age of 96. Zhang won Third Prize in the National Science and Technology Progress Award and the Science and Technology Progress Award of the Ministry of Health. He was awarded as Shanghai Advanced Educator, National Model Worker of Education System, Advanced Worker of Shanghai Health Bureau, etc.

On Feb. 25, Prof. Xue Huiliang, a CCP member, an expert in pediatric blood oncology, former Party Committee member of Shanghai Children’s Medical Center Affiliated with the School of Medicine, SJTU, and chief physician of the Department of Hematology and Oncology, died of illness in Shanghai at the age of 69.

Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) is a key state university under the Ministry of Education and jointly established with Shanghai Municipality. It is a key construction university of the CCP’s “Double First-class Class A,” “Project 985,” and “Project 211” institutions. In February 1961, SJTU was placed under the Commission of Science and Technology for National Defense by the CCP Central Committee, the Ministry of Education, and the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the CCP. In February 1970, it was put under the Sixth Ministry of Machinery Industry. In September 1982, it assumed the dual leadership of the Ministry of Education and Shanghai Municipality, with the Ministry of Education as the primary leader.

SJTU is the alma mater of former CCP leader Jiang Zemin. Among the alumni of SJTU are senior CCP officials, including Lu Dingyi, Ding Guangen, and Wang Daohan.

Since a COVID-19 outbreak began late last year in China, the deaths of high-ranking CCP members and CCP-connected celebrities, experts, and scholars in various fields have made headlines. Many prominent deaths come from the medical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology fields.