Founded in 1954, the discipline of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) at Beihang University is ranked as the first national key discipline during the first batch of evaluation by China Discipline Ranking (CDR). The discipline of MSE is always tied to the great demands of the National Aeronautics and Aerospace. Aiming at the development friontier of international disciplines, it has formed six discipline directions with distinctive characteristics, cultivated a group of outstanding talents for national defense industry and other related fields, produced a number of remarkable scientific and innovative achievements, and provided fundamental supports for the development of important weapons, equipments and national pillar industries. The development goal of the discipline is “Keeping the characteristics of Aerospace and Aeronautics, Meeting the national strategic demands, Leading the frontier of discipline, and Building up a world first-class discipline”.

The discipline of MSE has currently employed a total of 106 professional faculties and 55 professors, including 4 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) or the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), and 1 double hired academician of the CAE, 5 scholars of “National Thousands Talents Plan”, 10 professors elected in the “Yangtze River Scholar Awarding Plan” of the Ministry of Education of China (MOEC), 10 professors awarded the “National Outstanding Youth Foundation” of national science foundation of China (NSFC), 5 professors awarded the “National Excellent Youth Foundation” of NSFC, 10 professors elected in the “National Thousands Young Talents Plan”, 28 professors elected as the “Trans-century Talents” of the MOEC, 14 professors involved in the “New Star of Beijing Science and Technology Plan”, 4 professors renowned as “Beijing Distinguished Teachers”. The discipline has six high-level national discipline teams such as the innovation teams supported by NSFC, seven national research platforms and ten provincial and ministerial level key laboratories.              

Since 2012, several laboratories has been established based on the discipline of MSE, including the National Engineering Laboratory of Additive Manufacturing of Large Metal Components, the National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center for Materials Science and Engineering, the National Cooperation Base of Advanced Materials supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (MOSTC), the National Defense Science Technology Center of high performance carbon fiber’s inspection and evaluation, and four provincial and ministerial level laboratories such as the lab of Bionic Intelligent Interface Science and Technology. Besides, two 2011 collaborative innovation centers are jointly established: the co-innovation center for Advanced Structural Materials and Manufacture of Nonferrous Metals and co-innovation center for Advanced Aero-Engine.      

Within the past five years, many rewards and honors have been obtained, such as 2 grants from the National “973” projects and 14 sub-projects, 11 grants from the NSFC projects including 1 major program and 10 key programs, 1 grant from the ITER project supported by theMOSTC, 1 grant from the major exploration program supported by National GeneralArmamentDepartment. So far, a total of approximately 70 grants from the major or key National (or Defense) programs and 132 grants from the normal programs of NSFC. During the period of 2012-2015, the total research funding amounts to 0.75 billion, including 0.16 billion in 2012, 0.18 billion in 2013, 0.2 billion in 2014, and 0.21 billion in 2015, and the average funding amounts to 1.8 million per faculty.              

Since 2012, as the first complete unit, the discipline of MSE has been awarded 2 National Technology Invention Awards (1st class, a total of five in field of materials and two in this discipline so far), 1 Natural Science Award (2nd class), and 15 Provincial Science and Technology Rewards such as the National Technology Invention Award (1st class). Lots of research results have been published in the high-impact journals with total 2050 papers indexed by SCI. Among these papers, 129 are published in IF>10 journals such as Science (2), Nature (1), Nature Comm. (6), Adv. Mater. (33), Adv. Funct. Mater. (17), JACS (8), Angew. Chem. (11), PRL (5), Nano Lett. (7). In addition, more than 310 items of national invention patents have been authorized, and among them a lot have been transformed and applied.                                      

The discipline of MSE has formed six major discipline directions with distinctive characteristics and superiorities:

(1) The discipline direction of advanced high temperature materials and coatings for aeronautics and aerospace vehicle engines. This discipline is leaded by Prof. Huibin Xu (the academician of CAE). It is made up of 8 professors include 3 elected in the “Yangtze River Scholar Awarding Plan” of MOEC and/or the the awardee of “National Outstanding Youth Foundation” of NSFC. It has one innovation team supported by science and technology of national defense ministry, one grant from the national “973” project, and two National Technology Invention Awards (one ranked as 2nd class in 2006, and the other as 1st class in 2016).                

(2) The discipline direction of the light structural materials for the vehicle body. This discipline is leaded by Prof. Tao Zhang (elected in the “Yangtze River Scholar Awarding Plan” of MOEC and the the awardee of “National Outstanding Youth Foundation” of NSFC), and Prof. Zuoguang Zhang (chief scientist of the national “973” project). It is made up of 8 professors, including 1 elected in the “Yangtze River Scholar Awarding Plan” of MOEC and the awardee of “National Outstanding Youth Foundation” of NSFC, 1 scholar of “National Thousands Talents Plan”, 2 awardee of the “National Excellent Youth Foundation” of NSFC or “National Thousands Young Talents Plan”. It has one innovation team supported by MOEC, two grants from the National (or Defense) “973” projects, and one National Award for Science and Technology Progress (2011).              

(3) The discipline direction of the special functional materials for vehicle airborne equipment. This discipline is leaded by Prof. Chengbao Jiang (elected in the “Yangtze River Scholar Awarding Plan” of MOEC and the awardee of “National Outstanding Youth Foundation” of NSFC), and Prof. Ronghai Yu (awardee of the “National Outstanding Youth Foundation” of NSFC). It is made up of 7 professors, including 2 elected in the “Yangtze River Scholar Awarding Plan” of MOEC and the awardee of “National Outstanding Youth Foundation” of NSFC, 1 scholar of “National Thousands Talents Plan”, 2 elected in the “National Thousands Young Talents Plan”. It has one innovation team supported by NSFC, one grant from the major program supported by the GeneralArmamentDepartment, and one National Technology Invention Award (1st class in 2008).                                      

(4) The discipline direction of the metal additive manufacturing for vehicle key & complex components. This discipline is leaded by Prof. Huaming Wang (the academician of CAE). It is made up of 8 professors, including 1 elected in the “Yangtze River Scholar Awarding Plan” of MOEC and the awardee of “National Outstanding Youth Foundation” of NSFC, and 1 elected in the “National Thousands Young Talents Plan”. It has one innovation team supported by MOEC, one grant from the national defense “973” project, and one National Technology Invention Award (1st class in 2012).                

(5) The discipline direction of the material service evaluation and failure analysis for the vehicle safety. This discipline is leaded by Prof. Qunpeng Zhong (the academician of CAE) and Prof. Guanghong Lv (elected in the “Yangtze River Scholar Awarding Plan” of MOEC and the awardee of “National Outstanding Youth Foundation” of NSFC). It is made up of 7 professors, including 1 elected in the “Yangtze River Scholar Awarding Plan” of MOEC and the awardee of “National Outstanding Youth Foundation” of NSFC, 1 scholar of “National Thousands Talents Plan”, and 4 awardee of the “National Excellent Youth Foundation” of NSFC or “National Thousands Young Talents Plan”. It has established the national civil aviation security arbitration base, one grant from the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, and one National Award for Science and Technology Progress (2nd class in 2005).                

(6)  The discipline direction of the bio-inspired nano-materials derived from the new interdisciplinary and the aerospace science. This discipline is leaded by Prof. Lei Jiang (the academician of CAS). It is made up of 9 professors, including 2 elected in the “Yangtze River Scholar Awarding Plan” of MOEC and the awardee of “National Outstanding Youth Foundation” of NSFC, 2 awardee of the “National Excellent Youth Foundation” of NSFC or “National Thousands Young Talents Plan”. It has one 111 talent recruitment team,one grant from the National “973” project, high-impact publications in Nature (2), Nat. Mater. (1), and two National Natural Science Award (2st class in 2013 and 2014).                                        

In attaching to the curriculum construction and international cooperation, it has generated several achievements, including one course honored as the national quality video course in 2014; one second prize of national teaching achievement in 2015 and one first prize of Beijing teaching achievement in 2014; 2 new national engineering practice education centers established in 2012. A world-wide collaboration has been established for research development in materials discipline, like Stanford university, Oxford university, University of California Berkeley, Imperial College, MIT and other world renowned universities. In addition, the international evaluation system of disciplines and faculties provides the foundation for the mutual recognition of credits and student exchange.                      

The discipline of MSE aims to bring up the outstanding leading talents with combined ability of innovation and practice. The student body is made up of 595 full-time master’s students and 400 full-time doctoral students. During the past years, total 5000 students have graduated in the discipline of MSE including 4000 MS and 1000 PhD. Among them include 3 academicians whose names are Xiangbao Chen, Zhongping Li, Qiao Xiang, and a group of outstanding talents in the field of aeronautics and astronautics, e.g. Xiaohong Li, Fuyuan Xie, etc.; 3 winners and 3 nominators for excellent doctoral dissertation of China; 4 doctoral students share the honor of the First Prize of National Technological Invention Award, 16 students are awarded the Provincial and Ministerial level Science and Technology Awards.                          

To carry out extensive academic activities, play the role of leading talents, and promote the international scientific influence and reputations in the discipline of MSE. The faculties in the discipline of MSE take an active part in various society activities. Prof. Huibin Xu (academician of CAE) was the committee convenorin materials division of the Academic Degree Commission of the State Council, is currently the executive deputy director of the Division of Chemical, Metallurgy and Materials in CAE, serves as vice chairman of Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics (CSAA) and Chinese Society for Composite Materials (CSCM), is one of the principle organizer of major specific project of engine and large aircraft project. Prof. Huaming Wang (academician of CAE) is the vice president of Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society (CMES), Prof. Lei Jiang (academician of CAS) serves as the chief editor in the international advisory board of the journal , and Prof. Qunpeng Zhong (academician of CAE) serves successively as president of Failure Analysis Division of CMES and is one pioneer member of the national major specific project of engine. In addition, two faculties serve as vice chairmen of Chinese Society for Corrosion and Protection (CSCP), two as managing director of Chinese Materials Research Society (C-MRS), one committee chairman in the Division of Composite Material of CSAA.                      

The discipline of MSE has sponsored and organized over 30 international conferences on the materials related topics, e.g. the international conferences on materials processing, performance and behavior (MP3), the international conferences on composite materials (ICCM), the international conferences on the advanced materials design and processing (AMDP), the international conferences on the bulk amorphous alloys (ICBMGM) and others. Many faculties were selected as the highly cited scientists in Thomson Reuters, one scholar won the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Contribution Award in Nano science and Nanotechnology.