On August 14, 2025, the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan awarded Professor Xu Zhaodong of the School of Civil Engineering at Southeast University the "Sitara-i-Imtiaz" (Star of Excellence, Presidential Award of Pakistan). This honor recognizes Professor Xu Zhaodong's outstanding efforts and achievements in advancing scientific and technological cooperation between China and Pakistan, achieving breakthroughs in innovative research, and contributing to the development of China-Pakistan friendship.
As early as 2014, Professor Xu Zhaodong initiated academic cooperation and technical assistance with Pakistan. At that time, he joined hands with the International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI) to complete the country's first viscoelastic civil engineering seismic isolation project on the main teaching building of Vison High School in Pakistan, which effectively benefited the local people and provided crucial momentum for the development of Pakistan's disaster prevention and mitigation efforts.
Pakistan's first viscoelastic civil engineering seismic isolation project
In 2020, Professor Xu Zhaodong led the application and successfully obtained approval for the China-Pakistan Joint Laboratory for Smart Disaster Prevention of Major Infrastructure under the Belt and Road Initiative. The Belt and Road Joint Laboratories, planned and constructed by the Ministry of Science and Technology, are the highest-level platforms for national international scientific and technological cooperation and innovation, built with reference to national key laboratories. They represent an important measure to promote innovation-driven open cooperation between China and Belt and Road countries. The China-Pakistan Joint Laboratory for Smart Disaster Prevention of Major Infrastructure under the Belt and Road Initiative is the only joint laboratory belonging to the discipline of civil engineering among the first three batches of 53 Belt and Road Joint Laboratories. Its construction has consistently received high attention and support from both China and Pakistan. On October 15, 2024, the prime ministers of the two countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on jointly supporting the construction of the China-Pakistan Joint Laboratory for Smart Disaster Prevention of Major Infrastructure under the Belt and Road Initiative. In 2022, 2024, and 2025, the laboratory was included in six important agenda items at the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Joint Committee's Science and Technology Working Group meetings for three consecutive years. In October 2025, the China-Pakistan Smart Disaster Prevention Laboratory for Major Infrastructure under the Belt and Road Initiative was successfully unveiled in five branches in Pakistan, marking a shift in China-Pakistan cooperation in the field of smart disaster prevention for major infrastructure from "bilateral collaboration" to "local implementation," further improving the cooperation network and service capabilities.
Representatives from the joint laboratory participated in the fourth meeting of the Science and Technology Working Group of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Joint Committee
In October 2025, the China-Pakistan Smart Disaster Prevention Laboratory for Major Infrastructure Projects – Pakistan Branch Center was successfully inaugurated
Leveraging the joint laboratory as a core platform, Professor Xu Zhaodong has continuously promoted the multi-dimensional and in-depth expansion of China-Pakistan cooperation. He has successively carried out cooperative exchanges with more than 20 top Pakistani universities, including the National University of Science and Technology, Lahore University of Engineering and Technology, NED Karachi University of Engineering and Technology, and University of Science and Technology, Bannu, and signed bilateral cooperation agreements with 13 Pakistani universities. This work has promoted the improvement of research and education capabilities in the field of smart disaster prevention among Pakistani universities. Professor Xu Zhaodong has directly supervised more than 20 Pakistani doctoral and master's students, and promoted cooperation between the joint laboratory and Professor Muhammad Usman's team at the National University of Science and Technology and Professor Khan Shahzada's team at Peshawar University of Engineering and Technology, jointly training more than 100 Pakistani engineering students.
Southeast University and its partner universities in Pakistan signed a bilateral cooperation agreement
Furthermore, Professor Xu Zhaodong actively builds bridges for academic exchange and industrial cooperation between China and Pakistan. He has collaborated with relevant Pakistani academic institutions and the Pakistani Embassy in China to host over 10 international academic conferences, including the Second Academic Exchange Conference for Leading Talents in Civil Engineering and Water Conservancy Technology Innovation and the China-Pakistan Technology Cooperation and Promotion Exchange Conference, promoting joint research between China and Pakistan and related enterprise and industrial cooperation. He has also established an open fund for smart disaster prevention in both China and Pakistan, with over 30 funds already established to support related research in this field.
|
|
Civil Engineering and Water Transportation Technology Innovation Leading Talent Exchange Meeting | Joint Laboratory Construction China-Pakistan Bilateral Strategic Seminar |
|
|
China-Pakistan Technology Cooperation and Promotion Exchange Meeting | Joint Conference of National Universities of Science and Technology of Pakistan |
From technology transfer to platform building, from talent cultivation to academic exchange, Professor Xu Zhaodong has put the spirit of the Belt and Road Initiative into practice with concrete actions, injecting lasting vitality into China-Pakistan science and technology cooperation and strengthening the "science and technology bond" for the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between China and Pakistan. The awarding of this "Star of Excellence" medal is not only a high recognition of his personal contributions, but also a full affirmation of Southeast University's efforts in promoting China-Pakistan science and technology cooperation and enhancing friendly exchanges between the two countries. It is also a vivid testament to the joint progress and mutual benefit between China and Pakistan in the field of science and technology.
Appendix: Brief Introduction of Professor Xu Zhaodong
Professor Xu Zhaodong is the Director of the China-Pakistan Joint Laboratory for Smart Disaster Prevention of Major Infrastructure under the Belt and Road Initiative, a Changjiang Scholar Professor appointed by the Ministry of Education, and a recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars. Professor Xu's research focuses on structural vibration control, seismic resistance, and smart disaster prevention for multiple disasters. He is a recipient of the inaugural Science Exploration Prize and a researcher at the Qian Xuesen Space Laboratory, a highly cited scholar for many consecutive years, and one of Stanford's top 2% of scientists globally. Professor Xu has long been committed to promoting academic exchange and cooperation between China and Pakistan, making significant contributions to Pakistan and China-Pakistan friendship in areas such as smart disaster prevention for major infrastructure projects, lunar exploration, and high-level talent training.
