The Global Postgraduate Academic Courses Program of Chongqing University is in progress. The course Geotechnical Big Data and Reliability of the School of Civil Engineering is delivered by Suzanne Lacasse, fellow of Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, a top-10 institute of geotechnical engineering. Suzanne Lacasse has served as chairman of the Industrial Committee of SINTEF, expert of Civil Engineering Committee of Hong Kong Research Council and chairman of Technical Review Committee on Slope Safety of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and has been successively selected as fellow of the academy of engineering of the USA, Canada, Norway and France, the Royal Society of Canada, Det Kongelige Norske Videnskabers Selskab and Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. Suzanne Lacasse has delivered a number of top academic reports at world-level events, including the 37th Terzaghi Academic Report (2001), the 55th Rankine Academic Report (2015), the 8th ISSMGE Terzaghi Academic Report (2013) and the 9th Coulomb Academic Report (2011). In 2019, Lacasse was granted the John F. Kennedy Knight Medal.
Lacasse, in her age of 73, was full of energy. Her brilliant lectures covered 4 topics, “Uncertainties, their quantification and their effect on performance prediction”, “Reliability-based design, principles”, “Reliability-based design, applications” and “Risk-based decisions analysis, with two examples”. In the class, the enthusiastic students listened to her lecture attentively and raised questions after class. Lacasse answered their questions with patience. Every time Lacasse mentioned an important noun, she would repeat it several times to highlight its importance, and ask the students whether she had got it through. If any student was still confused, Lacasse would explain to them again. This class did not only provide students with cutting-edge professional knowledge, but also improved students’ English skills. Moreover, students were greatly impressed by the professional attainments of Lacasse and her devotion to teaching.
Students were familiarized with the acquisition methods of geotechnical big data, the noise reduction methods of big data, establishment the concept of logical thinking, and the use of big data model to solve practical problems of geotechnical engineering through attending the class. Their ability to solve practical problems with big data was also improved. The four topics of the course are closely related with clear logic, and distinct focuses and gradation, which greatly improve the efficiency of students taking this course. This course has also been proved to be effectively and benefiting. Students said they were honored to listen to the lecture delivered by Lacasse and took this as a very important opportunity to really learn something. After the class, students said that they learned much professional knowledge and their interest in learning and studying related knowledge was aroused. The course was highly spoken of by all students. Ye, a student who had taken this course, said that the causality between data could be revealed in a more effective way if computer technology was used to analyze geotechnical big data problems, and this was a main approach for people to understand and transform the nature. Deng, another student, said that the lecturing method of Lacasse was impressive. In the class, Lacasse combined the theory with practice according to the knowledge structure framework and characteristics of the course, which was suitable for everyone. Another student Han said that he/she enjoyed the class very much. The unique teaching style and the encouraging atmosphere in her class greatly inspired and motivated the students' enthusiasm, so that the students could actively think while learning much professional knowledge.
Following are screenshots of some lecture presentations delivered by Lacasse:
