On November 13, the sixth session of the 2025 Excellence Lecture Series was held at the Laoshan Campus of Ocean University of China. This session featured Zhao Shengya, aquanaut and Discipline Inspection Committee member of the National Deep-Sea Base Management Center, who delivered a special lecture titled “My Story of Exploring the Ocean with Jiaolong”.
Starting from the significance of deep-sea exploration, Zhao Shengya provided a comprehensive introduction to the development of deep-sea equipment and detection technologies. She guided students to gain an in-depth understanding of the Jiaolong manned submersible and the work of aquanauts, while sharing her firsthand experiences and insights from deep-sea dives. She emphasized that—from Jiaolong’s first breakthrough of the 7,000-meter mark in the Mariana Trench in 2012 to achieving the world’s first coordinated underwater operation between manned and unmanned submersibles in polar regions in 2025—China’s manned deep-diving program has fulfilled the long-held aspiration of the Chinese nation: “To scale the heavens and explore the depths of the seas.” She encouraged students to embrace the spirit of China’s manned deep diving—rigor and truth-seeking, unity and collaboration, dedication and perseverance, and the courage to reach new heights—and to venture into the deep blue, contributing their youth and strength to building a maritime power.
During the interactive session, students actively posed questions, and Zhao Shengya responded with patience and detail, even writing personalized messages for students who raised questions. She urged the students to align personal aspirations with national needs, maintain a spirit of innovation and practical action, strengthen their overall competencies, nurture curiosity to fuel exploration, and shoulder their responsibilities with commitment—writing a vibrant chapter of “striving for maritime excellence and living up to youth” with their own efforts.
Vice President Liu Yong presented Zhao Shengya with a specially designed “Blue Dream Navigator” honorary certificate.
The lecture was chaired by Du Junhua, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Materials Science and Engineering. Over 200 faculty members and students, along with representatives from the Academic Affairs Office and the College, attended the event.
Text: Dong Fei, Jia Jianyuan
Photos: Zhao Xiyun
