70th Anniversary of Compressor and Refrigeration Major, XJTU
Seventy Years of Endeavor, Inheriting the Legacy for a New Era
On the occasion of the 130th anniversary of Xi’an Jiaotong University and the 70th anniversary of its westward relocation, the Commemorative Conference for the 70th Anniversary of the Compressor and Refrigeration Major was solemnly held in Beijing.
Host: Watson Wang, Editor-in-Chief of "Compressor" Magazine
Hosted by Xi’an Jiaotong University, and co-organized by:
Chinese Association of Refrigeration (CAR)
China Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Industry Association (CRAA)
Compressor Branch of China General Machinery Industry Association (CGMA)
Nearly 120 alumni, experts, and partners from universities, research institutes, industry associations, and key enterprises gathered to review the extraordinary history and draw a blueprint for future development.
Theme: Striving for Seventy Years, Passing the Torch for Greater Glory, the conference consisted of five sessions:
Historical Review
Guest Speeches
Legacy Inheritance
Achievement Release
Future Outlook
Historical Review: Pioneering Higher Education in Compressors and Refrigeration in China
In the spring of 1956, the Ministry of Higher Education decided to establish the Compressor and Refrigeration Major at Jiaotong University. In September 1956, the Division of Compressor and Refrigeration was founded in the Department of Power Machinery, with Prof. Shi Huaxin as the first director. The first undergraduate students enrolled in Xi’an, marking the beginning of higher education in this field in China.
Over 70 years, the major has:
Rooted in western China, served the whole nation, and faced the world.
Developed from systematic teaching of reciprocating compressors to independent innovation in screw, scroll, and centrifugal compressors.
Progressed from traditional refrigerants to cutting-edge research on natural refrigerants (CO2) and elastocaloric refrigeration.
Today, the discipline of Refrigeration and Cryogenic Engineering has been established across universities and research institutes nationwide, cultivating a large number of talents for national science, technology, national defense, and energy sectors.
Compressor and Refrigeration Major
Guest Speeches: Joint Expectations from the Industry
Wang Bin, the vice prisident of Chinese Association of Refrigeration highly recognized the major’s internationally leading status in CO2 natural refrigerant systems and cryogenic system integration.
Noted the success of the 10th International Conference on Compressors and Refrigeration (ICCR 2025) held in Xi’an, which enhanced China’s global influence.
Called for deeper cooperation in nurturing young talents and jointly developing international standards.
Mr. Wang Bin Vice President, Chinese Association of Refrigeration
Mr. Jin Jiuru, the Secretary-General, Compressor Branch, CGMA affirmed the major’s contribution in supplying technical backbones and industrial leaders.
Reviewed the well-received Advanced Training Course on Compressor Fault Diagnosis launched jointly in 2025.
Committed to promoting the normalization of industry-education integration to upgrade China’s compressor industry.
Mr. Jin Jiuru, Secretary-General, Compressor Branch, CGMA
Legacy Inheritance: Honoring Pioneers, Inspiring Future Generations
Delivered a report titled Seventy Years of Perseverance, recounting the major’s journey from humble beginnings to world-class status.
Prof. Xing Ziwen
Introduced the current disciplinary layout, research platforms, and talent training system, highlighting landmark achievements in screw compressors, refrigeration system optimization, environment-friendly refrigerants.
Prof. Huang Dong
Introduced the Wu Yezheng Fund, established to carry forward the spirit of senior scholars and encourage young talents to dedicate themselves to compressor and refrigeration engineering.
Prof. Yan Gang
Gave a frontier report Elastocaloric Refrigeration: A New Paradigm for Green Cooling, covering: Development from elastocaloric effect discovery to engineering application, Breakthroughs in material development, dynamic coupling control, and miniaturization, Broad applications in electronics cooling, aerospace thermal control, and portable medical cryogenic equipment. Providing a new technical path for zero-GWP refrigeration.
Prof. Qian Suxin
Achievement Release: Commemorating Seven Decades, Embarking on a New Journey
The conference officially released the Commemorative Album for the 70th Anniversary of the Compressor and Refrigeration Major.
Album for the 70th Anniversary of the major
The album:
Systematically reviews the developmental history.
Records the deeds of founding pioneers: Shi Huaxin, Miao Yongmiao, Xia Anshi, Zhang Zhiyou, etc.
Collects dozens of major research achievements and technology transfer cases.
Captures precious moments of generations of XJTU scholars’ persistent efforts.
Summary & Outlook: Standing at the Forefront, Shouldering the Mission of a Strong Nation
Stated that XJTU's Compressor and Refrigeration Major is the cradle of refrigeration and air-conditioning higher education in China, tens of thousands of high-quality professionals have been cultivated over 70 years.
Emphasized its key intellectual and technical support for:
Implementation of the Montreal Protocol
Achievement of China’s Dual Carbon Goals
Looking ahead, the major will continue to lead in basic research, key core technologies, and training of outstanding engineers, contributing XJTU’s wisdom and strength to building China into a global power in refrigeration and compressors.
Vice President, CRAA; Distinguished Alumnus of XJTU
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