Qian Weichang or Chien Wei-zang (; 9 October 1912 – 30 July 2010) was a Chinese physicist and applied mathematician, as well as academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He served as President of Shanghai University. Career Qian was born in Wuxi, Jiangsu, Republic of China, on 9 October 1912. His uncle was the historian Ch'ien Mu. After graduating from Tsinghua University in 1935, he entered its Graduate School and became an intern researcher at the National Central Research Institute under the guidance of Wu Youxun. He obtained a Ph.D. at the University of Toronto under the supervision of John Lighton Synge in 1942, and then worked as a research associate in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of Caltech. In 1946, Qian returned to China and served as mechanics professor of Tsinghua University, Peking University and Yanjing University. In 1950s, he was Dean of Studies and Vice President of Tsinghua University, Vice Director of the Institute of Mechanics of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Director of the Institute of Automation of CAS, and a member of the Standing Committee of All China Federation of Scientific Societies. He was elected a founding academician of the CAS in 1955 and a foreign academician of the Polish Academy of Sciences in 1956. He was appointed vice-president of the Tsinghua University at the same year, but was seen as a "rightist" during the anti-rightist campaign because he criticised the removal of science majors in the 1950s. He was labelled an ultra-rightist in 1958, but this was redressed in 1983. During the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), Qian worked at a Beijing steel company, invented the best hydraulic press in Beijing and was called "professor" by his workmates. In 1982, Qian became President of Shanghai University of Technology, which had been turned into shambles after the consolidation of four institutions of higher education in 1994. Qian was Editor-in-Chief of "Applied Mathematics and Mechanics (English Edition)", a member of the Editorial Boards of "International Journal of Engineering Science" (US), "Advances in Applied Mechanics" (US), "Journal of Thin-walled Structure" (Holland) and "Journal of Finite Elements in Analysis and Design". He had been Vice Chairman of the National Committee of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference since 1987. Qian was a specialist in applied mathematics, mechanics, physics, engineering science and Chinese information processing. He was generally acknowledged as one of the pioneers and founders of modern mechanics undertakings in China. His