On April 12th, Lisa Stabler, President of Transportation Technology Center Inc. (TTCI), Firdausi Irani, Vice President of TTCI, and Jian Sun, Director of the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, visited Central South University. Yaoxue Zhang, President of Central South University, Vice President Kechao Zhou and the heads of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchanges, Railway Campus Administrative Committee, Traffic and Transportation Engineering School and Civil Engineering School met with them in 1# conference room of 1# office building.
Firstly, President Zhang Yaoxue made a brief introduction on the university and contributions made by its track traffic discipline to the national railway development, particularly to the world-leading train aerodynamic performance dynamic simulation experimental system and the recent successful crashworthiness and safety test on CRRC-manufactured metro vehicles to be exported to America. President Lisa hoped to take this opportunity to learn about Central South University and its experience in scientific research on track traffic and talent cultivation.
Afterwards, Tian Hongqi, a CAE academician, hosted a symposium with the delegation led by President Lisa at the 3D academic exchange center of the Key Laboratory of Traffic Safety on Track, Ministry of Education on the Railway Campus. The Key Laboratory of Traffic Safety on Track, Ministry of Education and the National Engineering Laboratory of High-Speed Railway Construction Technology, both regarding the field service as the primary objective, have been dedicated to research and development on a series of key technologies, for the purpose of improving the quality and efficiency of design, construction, operation and maintenance for trains and railways. Mr. Tian hoped both sides would conduct a closer cooperation on technical &scientific research and talent cultivation. President Lisa said that TTCI had worked with state partners such as Canada and Japan, and hoped to learn technologies of other countries, including China, to solve real problems and support enterprises’ development.
The delegation also visited the Key Laboratory of Traffic Safety on Track, Ministry of Education and the National Engineering Laboratory of High-Speed Railway Construction Technology.
It is known that TTCI is the comprehensive research and testing center for American railways, and has provided enormous intellectual and technical support for railway development in America through innovative technical services such as increasing the speed and length of trains, increasing train weight and axle load, and improving technical conditions of infrastructure and rolling stock. In January, 2012 when a delegation led by Mr. Tian visited TTCI and met with President Lisa, both sides agreed to establish a scientific research partnership between the Key Laboratory of Traffic Safety on Track, Ministry of Education and TTCI, for which an cooperation agreement was signed. Now both sides are in deep cooperation on international cooperative projects and laboratory construction.