In 1979, facing the situation that China's coastal and ocean engineering undertakings are in urgent need of construction and ocean science and technology are relatively backward.Professor Xue Hongchao led the formal application to the Ministry of Water Resources, and plans to expand and establish the Coastal and Ocean Engineering Science Research Institute based on the existing four special research groups: the Coastal Dynamics Research Group, Yangtze River Estuary Research Group, Lianyungang Research Group and Coastal Reclamation Research Group.In April of the same year, the Ministry of Water Resources agreed to set up the Ocean Engineering Institute, with Academician Yan Kai as the head of the preparatory group.In September 1980, the Ocean Engineering Institute was officially established and Professor Xue Hongchao was the first director.In October 1995, with the approval of the Ministry of Water Resources, the Institute of Ocean Engineering and the Department of Shipping and Marine Engineering merged to form the College of Harbour, Waterway and Coastal Engineering. Since then, the Institute has continued to be a relatively independent research institution despite several adjustments required by the development of the university.
Since its establishment, the Institute of Ocean Engineering has been entrusted with the mission of developing the scientific research technology of coastal and marine engineering and solving the key scientific problems of harbour, waterways, coasts and ocean engineering.Through the efforts of three generations, it has played a pivotal role in a series of major coastal and ocean projects such as the national coastal zone survey, the regulation of the Yangtze River estuary waterway, the regulation of the Pearl River estuary river network, the prevention and mitigation of disasters along the southeast coast, the layout of Jiangsu harbour, and the construction of Xiamen port.Academician Yan Kai, Professor Xue Hongchao, Professor Hu Yanru Lin and a number of other masters who play an important role in the development of ocean engineering in China have emerged.
Academician Yan Kai guided the country's first comprehensive investigation and study of coastal zone resources. He edited and completed the Comprehensive Investigation Report of China's Coastal Zone and Coastal Zone Resources, which provided scientific basis for the development and utilization of China's coastal zone resources. In 1992, the achievement won the first prize of national scientific and technological progress.From the 1980s onwards, Professor Xue Hongchao led the marine workers to participate in the whole process of the Yangtze Estuary Deepwater Channel Regulation Project. Until the third phase of the project was launched, he still discussed with the key technical leaders of the project the serious problem of siltation in some sections of the North Channel and put forward important suggestions.In addition to the Yangtze Estuary Deepwater Channel Regulation Project, teachers from the Institute of Ocean Engineering also participated in tackling key scientific and technological problems in a series of key national ports and coastal projects, including Xiamen Port and Huanghua Port.
At present, 28 of the 30 serving teachers in Ocean Engineering Institute have obtained doctorates, with an average age of 37. It is a team with a high starting point, younger age and an international perspective.In the past five years, there are 4 new professors and 9 associate professors.Fifteen new people were introduced, of whom 13 were studying in foreign schools at the undergraduate or postgraduate level.At present, more than 90% of the teachers in the institute have more than one year of overseas study experience, and maintain close cooperative relations with relevant research institutions such as the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Britain, Germany, Australia, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. They are responsible for or participate in a number of international research programs and international cooperation projects. On average, more than 20 people go abroad every year to engage in cooperative research and academic exchanges. Some teachers serve in international academic organizations and serve as editorial boards of international journals.
According to the latest requirements of the country in the field of ocean engineering and considering the research foundation of the existing personnel, it is proposed to focus on four main research directions:
1.Estuarine and coastal direction, rooted in the Yangtze River, deep into the Pearl River, based on Jiangsu coast
2.Ocean engineering direction,rooted in the offshore, go to the distant sea,pay attention to major projects
3.Green energy direction, foster strengths and circumvent weaknesses, lead the trend, plan energy plans
4.Disaster prevention and mitigation direction, develop advantages, focus on reality, benefit the whole world
From 2010 to 2015, the institute published a total of 200 SCI/EI retrieval papers, of which the paper Numerical study of sand bar migration under wave-under interaction was named the only best paper in 2014 by the international authoritative journal Journal of Waterway, Port, Coast and Ocean Engineering;More than 50 million yuan for scientific research fund;one item from the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, one from special term professor, Jiangsu Province, one expert enjoying special government subsidies, one from the Ministry of Education's New Century Outstanding Talents Support Program, more than 10 person-times from Jiangsu Province's Talent Project, one from Jiangsu Province's Blue Project Innovation Team, and one from Jiangsu Province's Colleges and Universities' Outstanding Scientific and Technological Innovation Team;won one second prize for national scientific and technological progress, one first prize at the provincial and ministerial levels, four second prizes and three third prizes;The results of the teaching reform won the special award for Water Conservancy and the special award for Educational and Teaching Achievements of Hohai University. Coastal Dynamics was selected into the national top-quality shared course. Young teachers won the second prize in the national university micro-curriculum competition. Coastal Dynamics was selected into the first batch of MOOC initiated construction courses of Hohai University,it won one research and practice project of postgraduate education and teaching reform in Jiangsu Province.Won the special award for the best party day activity of 2015 at the ocean industry cultural exhibition.
