Discipline of Mechanics at Nanchang University

The Discipline of Mechanics at Nanchang University is comprised of relevant research institutes from the School of Infrastructure Engineering (including the Institute of Engineering Mechanics, the Engineering Mechanics Experimental Center, the Teaching & Research Section of Engineering Mechanics, and the Institute of Structural Engineering), the Institute of Materials Processing Engineering, the Institute for Advanced Study of Nanchang University, and the Nonlinear Science Research Center. The discipline currently offers doctoral and master's degree programs in Mechanics as a first-tier discipline. Its primary research directions encompass four major areas: Mechanics of Heterogeneous Materials and Its Application in Material Processing and Forming, Mechanical Property Analysis of Engineering Structures and Disaster Prevention & Mitigation, Nonlinear Dynamics and Structural Vibration Analysis, and Micro/Nano Mechanics.

The origins of the Discipline of Mechanics at Nanchang University can be traced back to the Teaching & Research Section of Mechanics and the Mechanics Laboratory under the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering, as well as the Teaching & Research Section of Theoretical Mechanics under the Department of Mechanical Engineering, established at the former Jiangxi Institute of Technology in 1958. The discipline achieved a significant milestone in 1986 by obtaining the right to confer master's degrees in Solid Mechanics, making it one of the first key disciplines in Jiangxi Province. In 1993, following the merger of the former Jiangxi University and Jiangxi University of Technology into Nanchang University, the Teaching & Research Section of Material Mechanics, the Engineering Mechanics Laboratory, the Teaching & Research Section of Theoretical Mechanics, and the Institute of Engineering Mechanics were consolidated to form a new Institute of Engineering Mechanics. The Engineering Mechanics Experimental Center was completed in 2003 at the university's new Qianhu Campus. In 2005, the discipline was granted the right to confer doctoral degrees in Solid Mechanics, becoming the only discipline in Jiangxi Province with such authority in Mechanics. A notable achievement followed in 2006 when the Mechanics Experimental Center was designated as a "National Demonstration Center for Experimental Mechanics Teaching," the first of its kind in Jiangxi. In 2013, the center further gained recognition as a "National Virtual Simulation Experimental Teaching Center for Mechanics and Engineering," also a first for the province. The discipline established a Postdoctoral Research Mobility Station in Mechanics in 2014 and was approved as a first-tier discipline doctoral degree authorization point in Mechanics in 2017.

Substantial investments totaling over 25 million RMB from the national and provincial governments, along with the university, have facilitated the construction of a dedicated Mechanics Experiment and Teaching Center building, spanning more than 6,000 square meters. Furthermore, several specialized laboratories have been equipped with advanced experimental apparatus related to mechanics, valued between 30 and 40 million RMB, providing a robust hardware foundation for the discipline's development.

Regarding academic workforce development, after decades of growth, the Discipline of Mechanics at Nanchang University has formed a cohesive teaching and research team. This team is centered around innovative talents and distinguished academic leaders, supported by a large number of mid-career and young scholars as academic backbones. The team currently consists of 32 professors, 22 associate professors, and 50 members holding doctoral degrees. Over the past five years, the discipline has published 313 academic papers, with 161 indexed by SCI, EI, or ISTP. It has undertaken and completed 42 National Natural Science Foundation projects. The quality of postgraduate education is commendable, with graduates primarily pursuing careers in civil service, real estate enterprises, design institutes, universities, and other research institutions.