Dialogue with Academician Lee Chack Fan: Exploring Scientific Breakthroughs and Sustainable Development

2025-05-19

On May 17, Professor Lee Chack Fan, Founding Member and Vice Chairman of the Council of the Greater Bay Area Association of Academicians and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, was invited to visit St. Joseph's College in Hong Kong. Under the theme "The Three Gorges Dam and Beyond", he engaged in a lively dialogue with students, sharing his professional insights in geotechnical engineering and the developmental impact of large-scale infrastructure in an accessible manner. He also encouraged young students to pay attention to science, technology, and environmental issues, fostering innovative thinking and a sense of social responsibility. As an alumnus, Academician Lee recounted how his years at St. Joseph's College shaped his personal and professional growth. The lecture not only broadened the students' horizons, but also inspired them to reflect on national development and a sustainable future.  

(Academician Lee Chack Fan engaging with students during the dialogue at St. Joseph's College)

As a renowned water conservancy expert, Academician Lee first shared his involvement in the Three Gorges Project. As one of its core experts, he recalled the project’s original objectives in the 1990s—taming the Yangtze River’s floods, improving navigation conditions, and replacing traditional energy sources with clean hydropower to support national development. He emphasized that the Three Gorges Project was not only a technological challenge but also a model of interdisciplinary collaboration. During its construction, world-class difficulties such as geological stability and the development of massive turbine units were overcome, while the monumental social task of relocating over a million people was accomplished, achieving a win-win outcome in resettlement and urban development.  

During the lecture, Academician Lee showcased China’s achievements in "ecological water conservancy" and "engineering water conservancy" by comparing the revitalized landscape of Yan’an with the past conditions of the Loess Plateau. Through initiatives like returning farmland to forests and soil erosion control, once-barren mountains have been transformed into lush ecological barriers. Furthermore, using data charts, he analyzed China’s power generation structure, highlighting the increasing proportion of non-fossil energy sources such as hydropower, wind power, and solar energy. In light of carbon neutrality goals, he projected that China would accelerate the development of nuclear energy and build a green energy system integrating solar, wind, and hydropower in the future.