Upon invitation of CQU vice-president Prof Hanlong Liu, International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE) President Charles W.W. Ng, also Chair Professor of Yangtze River Scholar MOE, Associate Vice-President, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Prof Charles W.W. Ng chaired the oral defense of SCE PhD candidate in Geotechnical engineering. The panel members include Prof Hanlong Liu, Prof Xinrong Liu, Prof Wengang Zhang, Prof Yang Xiao from Chongqing University, as well as Prof Gangqiang Kong from Hohai University.

Before the oral defense, Associate Chair, Prof Wengang Zhang introduced the research background as well as the comments from external reviewers for thesis “Load transfer mechanism of energy pile group embedded in sandy soil foundation” by Mr Huaifeng Peng and “Thermal-mechanical response and mechanism of energy piles in a row”by Mr Di Wu. During the defense, Prof Charles Ng spoke highly of the doctoral students Di Wu and Huaifeng Peng in that both candidates had done solid work in promoting the research in energy pile working mechanism and design optimization. The panel members agreed that their works kept up with the current academic frontier and the significance of their research was outstanding to meet the requirements of doctoral dissertation. In addition, Prof Charles Ng also exchanged views with other panel members in the aspects of general doctoral dissertation requirements, defense process and research orientations of internationally well-known universities.

Inviting internationally reputable professors to participate in the oral defense of doctoral dissertation is an important measure for development of a double-class civil engineering discipline. It is essential to strengthen the international cooperation and collaborations between the universities home and abroad and enhance the international academic impacts and exposures.

Professor Charles W.W. NG (吳宏偉) PhD , University of Bristol 

Associate Vice-President (Research and Graduate Studies)
CLP Holdings Professor of Sustainability
Chair Professor of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Changjiang Scholar 長江學者講座教授 (2010-2013)
Associate Editor, Canadian Geotechnical Journal
President of International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering