Faculty Profile

Weihua Zhang is a Chief Professor and doctoral supervisor at Southwest Jiaotong University. He is a Changjiang Distinguished Professor of the Ministry of Education, a recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, a national-level candidate of the New Century Talent Project, a chief scientist of a National “973 Program” project, and an expert receiving the Special Government Allowance of the State Council.

Professor Zhang graduated from the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Southwest Jiaotong University in 1983, received a master’s degree in General Mechanics in 1989, and obtained a doctoral degree in Locomotive and Rolling Stock Engineering in 1996. From September 1995 to January 1996, he worked as a cooperative researcher at Manchester Metropolitan University in the United Kingdom.

He has long been engaged in teaching and research on railway vehicle dynamics, high-speed train dynamics, vehicle system design, structural strength and reliability, rail transit testing technology, maglev transportation, and high-speed and ultra-high-speed vacuum tube transportation. He has led the development of high-speed train basic research experiment platforms, digital simulation platforms, service-performance research platforms, high-temperature superconducting maglev engineering systems, and multimodal coupled rail transit dynamic simulation platforms.

Professor Zhang has made important contributions to the development of China’s railway vehicle technology, high-speed trains, high-temperature superconducting maglev transportation, and ultra-high-speed vacuum tube transportation. He has published more than 400 academic papers, authored and co-authored several academic books, holds more than 70 granted invention patents, and has led or participated in the formulation of multiple technical standards.

Honors and Awards

• National Science and Technology Progress Award: two Special Prizes, two First Prizes, and two Second Prizes.

• Engineering Award of the Guanghua Engineering Science and Technology Prize.

• Achievement Award of the Zhan Tianyou Railway Science and Technology Award.

• National Innovation Competition Award.

• National Innovation Competition Medal as a member of the Fuxing High-Speed Train R&D and Innovation Team.

• National Excellent Doctoral Dissertation Award recipient.

• National-level candidate of the New Century Talent Project.

• Changjiang Distinguished Professor of the Ministry of Education.

• Recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars.

• Chief Scientist of a National “973 Program” project.

• Expert receiving the Special Government Allowance of the State Council.

Education Experiences

• 1979–1983: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University; Bachelor of Engineering.

• 1986–1989: Department of Mechanics, Southwest Jiaotong University; Master’s degree in General Mechanics.

• 1993–1996: Traction Power State Key Laboratory, Southwest Jiaotong University; Ph.D. in Locomotive and Rolling Stock Engineering.

• September 1995–January 1996: Manchester Metropolitan University, United Kingdom; Cooperative Researcher.

Work Experiences

• 1983–1986: Teaching Assistant, General Mechanics Teaching and Research Section, Southwest Jiaotong University.

• 1989–Present: Southwest Jiaotong University.

• Present: Chief Professor and Doctoral Supervisor, Southwest Jiaotong University.

• Present: Academic Director, Super-speed Vacuum Tube Maglev Transportation Research Center.

• Present: Director, Sichuan Provincial Engineering Research Center for High-temperature Superconducting Maglev Transportation Technology.

• Present: Director, Key Laboratory of Advanced Structural Materials for Railways.

Social Work

Professor Zhang serves as a member of committees on high-speed railways, heavy-haul railways, railway vehicles, and railway equipment of the Chinese Society of Railway. He is also a member of the Railway Transportation Safety Technology Committee of the China Association of Rail Transit, a member of the Sichuan Provincial Expert Review Committee, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of International Journal of Dynamics and Control, and an editorial board member of several academic journals.

Research Directions

• Railway Vehicle Dynamics and Structural Reliability

• High-Speed Train System Dynamics and Electromechanical Coupling

• High-Temperature Superconducting Maglev and Advanced Linear Propulsion

• High-Speed and Ultra-High-Speed Vacuum Tube Transportation

• Rail Transit Testing, Intelligent Sensing, Digital Twins and Vibration Control