These were the first words used by Zheng Li, executive deputy dean of the Industrial Engineering Department of Tsinghua University, to describe the work of Gavriel Salvendy since he took over his post as dean of the newly established Industrial Engineering Department last October. “He is undertaking all the work a dean should do,” Zheng Li said.

The first thing Dean Salvendy did was establishing departmental goals and requirements: Outstanding students, first-class teachers, scientific research projects contributing to the national economy and people’s livelihood and frequent international exchanges. A stated goal is to encourage teachers’ further studies and obtaining Ph.D degrees from first-rate universities in the United States.

“The Industrial Engineering Department has started late, but it must start to meet the international standards,” Salvendy said. Today specialized courses in the department are taught in English; three years from now, all courses will be taught in English.

Salvendy is reported to have been working non-stop since the semester started. The new dean has communicated with everyone of the 14 teachers in the department, nearly all of whom are under 40. Salvendy now requires that they publish three academic articles in foreign journals each year.

“The teaching and research tasks are heavy in the department, but all of staff are willing to work here, because they could see the potential of development,” said Professor Lin Heng, deputy dean of the department.

In listening to one teacher’s research plan, Salvendy discussed with the teacher a problem he saw, and the two redesigned the research direction to give a better chance at publication in international academic journals. He has held wide consultations with students, getting to know what courses they are most interested in. Salvendy also offered important suggestions on the overall direction of the scientific research in the department. Such things as selection of textbooks, establishment of key labs and planning of offices have all been among his concerns.

Salvendy will stay in China for two to three months each year, but every week he will send substantial e-mails to his colleagues and in this way discuss problems with them. In 2002, he has assigned three internationally known scholars to give lectures in June, July and August in the Industrial Engineering Department.

Industrial engineering is a branch of engineering aimed at system efficiency and benefits. Though most concepts related to industrial engineering haven’t been recognized in China, Salvendy and his Chinese colleagues are not about to change their goal: To be one of the world’s first-rate departments. To achieve the goal, they have put painstaking efforts into the past six months.

“Salvendy knows clearly each subject in industrial engineering, and he is familiar with most experts in this field. Without his academic position and influence, we could not complete so much.”

In line with the teachers and students exchange program agreed to between Tsinghua University and Purdue University, with which Salvendy works, Tsinghua has sent some 20 postgraduates to study in the TH Aechen University of Germany. On Salvendy’s recommendation, some professors at Tsinghua have become editorial members of international academic journals or organizing members of international academic conferences. Also, professors in the department are publishing more articles in established magazines than before.

Also, more excellent people are now hoping to work at Tsinghua, including four Ph.D. degree holders from the United States. One of them, who graduated from University of California, Berkeley and has been hired, said, “I chose to come here because Tsinghua has invited Salvendy. This shows its determination and possibility to build itself into a world-class department.”

On his long working list of things to do, Salvendy has placed a plan to build two world-level centers. One is a product usability testing center, which aims at improving the usability, reliability and competitiveness of China-made products. The other is nanometer product manufacturing center, which will focus on production with nano-technology. The plan is for the two centers to take a leading role in the world.

“The efforts I’ve made is not only out of my responsibilities as a dean. I hope the work will influence the thinking model of my Chinese colleagues. The Chinese colleagues like to follow others, learning from and imitating others. However, we encourage things with originality, for our goal is to become the world leader in the field of industrial engineering,” Salvendy said.

Salvendy’s challenges to his colleagues’ thinking and thinking habits have been great, and with an influence that is clear to an international audience. Under the leadership of Salvendy, the Industrial Engineering Department of Tsinghua University already has become known across the world.

“No matter how famous Salvendy is, or how well-known the Tsinghua University is, their combination in China has a far-reaching influence,” said Zheng Li, the executive deputy dean.

Reports on overseas media have said that Tsinghua’s introduction of a foreign professor is a new kind of approach to scholarly pursuits that demonstrates China’s opening-up attitude. This is a milestone, they said.

In the following five years, Tsinghua expects to employ 50 world-famous scholars to teach in the university. Undoubtedly, Salvendy is a good beginning.

(科技日报 [Science and Technology Daily], translated by Li Jinhui for china.org.cn, April 19, 2002）