(Correspondent: Chen Hongge) On July 11, 2019, Guizhou Red Practice Team of the Party Committee of the Department of Electronic Engineering, Tsinghua University and the Party Branch of the FAST Engineering of the National Astronomical Observatories of China held an exchange activity with the theme of "Patriotic Dedication, Pursuit of Excellence, and Inheriting the Spirit of Nan Rendong, an Excellent Alumnus" in Dawodang, Jinke Village, Kedu Town, Pingtang County, Guizhou Province. Huang Yidong, Chair of the Department and member of the Party Committee, Hao Zhibiao and Deng Beixing, Deputy Chair and member of the Party Committee, Li Dongmei and Wang Yu, Deputy Party Committee Secretary, Feng Zhenghe, former Chair of the Department and other 19 teachers and students from various party branches of the Department of Electronic Engineering participated in the activity.

Aerial view of FAST engineering (provided by FAST team)

2019 fell on the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China and the 100th anniversary of the May 4th Movement, and recently coincided with the 98th anniversary of the founding of the Party. The Party Committee of the Department of Electronic Engineering held the exchange activity to encourage teachers and students to conduct patriotic dedication, remain true to our original aspiration, be courage to act and contribute to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope is known as "China's Eye of Heaven". Chinese astronomer Nan Rendong proposed his idea in 1994 and it was put into use on September 25, 2016 after 22 years. FAST is the most flexible radio telescope, which was constructed under the lead of National Astronomical Observatories, CAS, owns Chinese independent intellectual property rights and has the largest single caliber in the world.

Schoolmate Nan Rendong Provided by FAST team

Nan Rendong studied in the Department of Radio Electronics, Tsinghua University in 1963, and received his master's and doctoral degrees from the Graduate School, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Since 1994, Mr. Nan was responsible for site selection, pre-research, project approval, feasibility research and preliminary design of FAST. As the chief scientist and chief engineer of the project, he was responsible for formulating FAST scientific goals, comprehensively guiding the construction of FAST engineering, and overcoming a series of technical problems such as rope fatigue and moving optical cables. On September 25, 2016, the FAST hosted by him was put into use.

On-site communication Shot by Zhang Yongjian

On the morning of July 11, the Practice Team of the Department of Electronic Engineering and the Party Branch of the FAST Engineering held an exchange activity in the FAST Project Conference Room of the National Astronomical Observatories of China. Jiang Peng, chief engineer of FAST, researcher of the National Astronomical Observatories, CAS, and leader of the FAST commissioning team first delivered a welcome speech. Professor Jiang welcomed the teachers and students from the maternal line of Mr. Nan Rendong and hoped that both parties would uphold the spirit of Mr. Nan and discuss the fields of cooperation between them. It is recommended to strengthen communication to lay a good foundation for cooperation in academic exchange and talent cultivation. Then Professor Huang Yidong, Chair of the Department of Electronic Engineering, delivered an appreciation speech. She saluted the patriotic dedication and pursuit of excellence of the FAST engineering team and hoped that everyone would inherit the spirit of Nan Rendong, an excellent alumnus, remain true to our original aspiration and keep on moving. In the meantime, she hoped to develop deeper cooperation with the FAST engineering team in the future, especially in talent cultivation. She welcomed the FAST team to conduct visits and exchanges in the Department of Electronic Engineering. At the exchange meeting, Zhu Wenbai, member of the FAST engineering team and researcher of the National Astronomical Observatories of China, introduced the past and present of "China's Eye of Heaven" and the contributions made by Tsinghua people to it. Professor Zhu said that Mr. Nan Rendong's contribution has always been remembered by "Eye of Heaven" people. Professor Hao Zhibiao, Deputy Chair of the Department of Electronic Engineering, introduced the historical evolution, discipline setting and development status of the Department of Electronic Engineering, Tsinghua University, and said that many research achievements of the Department of Electronic Engineering can help the development of FAST. Dr. Gan Hengqian, as Mr. Nan's doctoral candidate and from the FAST engineering team introduced the interesting life stories of his tutor Nan Rendong, allowing everyone to understand the vivid and touching life fragments of Mr. Nan loving his life in the light of the model of the times. Professor Feng Zhenghe, as a younger brother of Mr. Nan, a year ahead, introduced Nan Rendong that he knew.

Chair Huang presented gifts to the FAST team Shot by Zhang Yongjian

After the exchange activity, under the leadership of Si Keke, an alumnus of the Department of Electronic Engineering, senior engineer of FAST Engineering, and Li Mingzhe, a engineer of the FAST team, the practice team of the Department of Electronic Engineering visited the FAST laboratory control center and the magnificent "Eye of Heaven Cauldron" nearby. Walking on the "edge of cauldron" and experiencing the spirit of patriotic dedication and pursuit of excellence of Mr. Nan and the FAST team, our heart swelled with a sense of national pride!

Group photo of teachers and students of the Department of Electronic Engineering visiting the "Eye of Heaven" (provided by the FAST team)

Through the exchange activity and field visit to the radio telescope, we felt the difficulty of FAST engineering construction more deeply. The feed movement of the Eye of Heaven and the change of the cable net structure are technical difficulties. Even the durability of the bendable optical cable is a technical problem that needs to be solved. Complex FAST engineering is a portrayal of the fearless spirit of engineering experts represented by Nan Rendong who were brave to take on heavy responsibilities and overcame difficulties! The patriotism of "writing the paper on the motherland" and the fighting spirit of daring to endure hardships and to be the first, are the spirit of Eye of Heaven!