On the evening of 16 November 2023, from 19:00 to 21:00, Professor Ren Weixin, Distinguished Professor of the College of Civil and Transportation Engineering and Executive Director of the Institute of Urban Intelligent Transportation and Safe Operation and Maintenance, gave a special lecture on the topic of Introduction to Civil Engineering in Lecture Hall No. 1 of Huixing Building. Yang Lei, vice president of the college, representatives of young teachers and all the more than 200 new students of 2023 attended and listened to the report, and the lecture was presided over by Yang Lei, vice president of the college.

Professor Ren Weixin's special lecture was entitled "Structural Function, Form and Beauty of Bridges", which was divided into three main parts:

(1) The definition of civil engineering and its cultivation objectives were introduced in the context of bridge engineering;

(2) Through the history of bridge development at home and abroad, the close connection between civil engineering and human civilisation was elaborated, and figurative cases were used to sublimate the civil engineering discipline from the scientific level to the artistic level;

(3) Taking bridge structure as an entry point, the concepts of the dialectical relationship between science and art, the basic mechanical elements of structure, and bridge aesthetics are vividly introduced.

On the one hand, Prof Ren pointed out that civil engineering is a creative discipline with flexibility, freedom and space to play, rather than a discipline dedicated to discovering long-existing but undiscovered scientific laws, and that modern structures not only have to comply with the principles of safety, practicality and economy, but also have to satisfy the requirements of aesthetics.

On the other hand, taking bridge engineering as an example, Prof. Ren Weixin not only wittily pointed out the specific aesthetic meanings of "proportion, balance and harmony", but also threw light on the functions, forms and basic elements of structures, hoping that all the students can make steady progress and achieve success during their four years of undergraduate study.

At the end of the lecture, Prof. Ren Weixin put forward his personal views to the students that there is still a long way to go for the future development of civil engineering, and used Prof. Lin Tongyan's words "to the engineer who does not blindly follow the norms but seeks to follow the laws of nature", and James, Ace in the "Engineer with a Dream". "If a thing has never been done before, but our knowledge and judgement think it can be done, shall we be forced to admit that it can never be done?" An exhortation to the students.

In the dialogue and exchange session after the lecture, Professor Ren Weixin patiently answered in detail the questions raised by many students about the career direction of this major and graduate studies.

This "Introduction to Civil Engineering" report was successfully concluded in the warm applause of the audience.