On July 10, Westlake University held its 2021 Huxin Lecture Series Summer Session titled “Ad Astra”. We invited two distinguished Chinese astronautical scientists who have spearheaded China’s major space programs to take the public on a unique journey into space for the event.

Weiren Wu, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the chief designer of China's lunar exploration program, discussed China’s achievements in key space programs and shared his perspectives on the nation’s future exploration of the Solar System.

Rongqiao Zhang, chief designer of China's first Mars exploration mission, described how Chinese scientists have overcome challenges through independent innovation.

For the core side event, the Huxin Campus Tour, we welcomed teenage students who stood out in our online quiz challenge to join us for various activities including a campus visit, lab tours, information session, and meetings with Westlake staff and Ph.D. candidates.

Westlake University’s Huxin Lecture Series was initiated by Westlake President Yigong Shi in 2020. The lectures are free of charge and offered quarterly for the purpose of increasing public awareness of advanced science and technology. The series is part of our commitment to give back to the wider society for which we were established to serve.

The theme of each lecture is chosen to advance understanding of science and humanity, with each speaker being an influential figure in their field. We hope to continue holding Huxin Lectures for more people so that we can pass on to the next generation the same passion and love for exploration and discovery that drives us all at Westlake University.