China's university launches new school to cultivate space exploration professionals

BEIJING, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday unveiled its first School of Space Exploration to cultivate more leading talents in the aerospace field.

Established by the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), the school will focus on cutting-edge fields such as interstellar propulsion, deep-space communication and navigation, and space science, aiming to cultivate urgently-needed interdisciplinary professionals.

Zhu Junqiang, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the school's dean, said it aims to become a key base for foundational aerospace research to support major national projects, a hub for cultivating high-level talent capable of pioneering exploration, and a center for international academic exchange to share China's expertise through solid achievements.

The establishment of the new school is a key move by the UCAS to promote the integrated development of education, science, technology and talent, and address a critical shortage of specialized professionals.

More than six decades ago, the CAS held its first space exploration symposium at the proposal of renowned Chinese scientists, including Qian Xuesen and Zhao Jiuzhang, leading to the establishment of a committee that laid the groundwork for the country's space exploration.

"Today, our gathering to discuss the cultivation of leading talents in interstellar navigation not only carries forward the legacy of our predecessors' dedication to the nation but also represents a comprehensive upgrade of talent development for the new era," said Wang Chi, an academician of the CAS and director general of the National Space Science Center under the CAS. ■