On the morning of March 20, Professor Zhu Hehua, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Honorary Chair Professor of Tongji University, and a leading expert in the field of tunnels and underground spaces engineering, was invited to give a lecture at Southeast University “Six Dynasties Pine”. Themed “From Human Intelligence to Intelligent Engineering Systems: Exploring the Essential Connection Between Philosophy and Science”, the event drew over 600 faculty and students.
The lecture was organized by the Academic Affairs Office and the National Cultural Quality Education Center of Southeast University, and hosted by the School of Civil Engineering. It was chaired by Lu Jinyu, Director of the Academic Affairs Office. Among the attendees were Dean Guo Tong, Vice Deans Zhang Jian and Zhang Wenming, along with other faculty representatives.
In his lecture, Academician Zhu Hehua discussed the rapidly evolving era of “smart cities,” “smart buildings,” “smart transportation,” and “smart infrastructure.” Starting from first principles and drawing on philosophical and psychological perspectives, he explored the essence of intelligence, pointing out that the intelligence of engineering systems originates from the mapping and migration of human intelligence. Based on this, he distilled four core qualities that intelligent engineering systems should possess: resilience, intelligence, greenness, and human-centeredness. By integrating complex systems theory with engineering practice, he developed the RIGHT model and evaluation framework for intelligent engineering systems, demonstrating their application in intelligent transportation systems in Shanghai, and also offered a forward-looking perspective on the future development of smart cities.
During the Q&A session, faculty and students engaged in lively discussions on topics such as livable cities and infrastructure intelligence. Academician Zhu responded thoughtfully, blending scientific rigor with humanistic insight. Representatives of the audience presented him with flowers and a Nanhua Yi embroidery piece featuring the “Six Dynasties Pine” as a souvenir.
A distinguished scholar in digital underground space engineering, Academician Zhu has pioneered the interdisciplinary field of civil engineering informatics. He founded the international journalUnderground Space, developed the iS3 intelligent infrastructure service system, and has received honors including the National Science and Technology Progress Award, the Humboldt Research Award, and the Pian Xueheng International Academic Contribution Award.
