Carry Forward the Spirit of Scientists, Forge ahead with Enterprise and Fortitude

The warbler flies and the grass grows, everything is fresh again. On March 24th, Academician Manchao He, the president of the CSRME, visited the Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. In front of the statue of Mr. Zongji Chen, Academician He presented a flower basket and express his respect to the founder and the first president of the CSRME, accompanied by Mr. Zhou Chuangbing, the vice president of the CSRME, Mr. Xue Qiang, the director of the Institute, and other leaders and experts.
Academician Manchao He emphasized that the CSRME should vigorously promote the spirit of scientists, establish an education base to unite and lead the rock mechanics and engineering science and technology workers for building up a correct view of history, nation and culture, and learning from the patriotic spirit and scientific spirit of the older generation of scientists who take the national rejuvenation as their responsibility. Work hard, keep moving forward, and make more breakthroughs and greater contributions to scientific research.

Mr. Zongji Chen is a well-known expert in rock mechanics, rheological mechanics, and geodynamics. In 1979, he served as the leader of the Chinese National Group of the International Society of Rock Mechanics and led the Chinese delegation to participate in the 4th ISRM Congress. In 1982, he initiated and founded the " Journal of Rock Mechanics and Engineering" and served as the editor-in-chief of the first and second editorial boards. In 1985, he initiated and established the Chinese Society of Rock Mechanics and Engineering and served as the first president. He is the founder and pioneer of the CSRME.

Mr. Zongji Chen pioneered the study of soil and rock rheology in China and proposed the internationally recognized "Chen's Yield Value", "Structural mechanics of clays", "Three-dimensional Consolidation of Soil" and "Rock rheology, relaxation, expansion" and other innovative achievements, wrote internationally influential works such as "Rheology", "The Third Yield Value of Rock and Soil and Its Importance in Engineering" and "Thermal Rheological Process of Himalayan Orogeny and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Uplift". He has successfully applied his research theory to dozens of important projects in China, such as the Three Gorges Project and the Gezhouba Project. Mr. Zongji Chen also established the world's first-class soil and rock rheology, and rock high temperature and pressure laboratory, and developed more than 40 kinds of advanced instruments and equipment.