In April at SJTU, the phoenix trees turn fresh green and magnolias bloom with fragrance. At the historic moment of the 130th anniversary of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, a “family member” with deep ties to SJTU, to France, and to the Paris Elite Institute of Technology—Distinguished Professor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Member of the French National Academy of Technologies, Lü Jian—sent a message from afar.

Academician Lü Jian studied in France in his early years and spent nearly 27 years studying and working there, witnessing the deepening exchanges in science, technology, and education between China and France. His family, meanwhile, has written a century-spanning legend of SJTU and a story of patriotic dedication to science.

Academician Lü Jian’s connection with SJTU did not begin today, but is engraved in enrollment records from 101 years ago.

His maternal grandfather Xu Xiugang (Class of 1925, Railway Management) and his three younger brothers—Xu Xiude (Class of 1929, Railway Management), Xu Xiuhui (Class of 1936, Civil Engineering), and Xu Xiucheng (Class of 1940, Mechanical Engineering)—all studied at Jiao Tong University in succession. Four brothers from the same family attending SJTU is a remarkable story in the university’s more than a century of history.

Three years ago, during the 10th anniversary events of the institute, Academician Lü Jian visited the SJTU Archives and Museum. As old graduation photos and transcripts came into view, the family’s deep-rooted connection with SJTU was illuminated once again. This is not only a family honor, but also a vivid testament to SJTU’s fine academic tradition of “high starting point, solid foundation, strict requirements, and emphasis on practice.”

Academician Lü Jian, accompanied by Professor Zhong Shengyi, consulted the academic records of his maternal grandfather Xu Xiugang at the SJTU Archives and Museum.

If SJTU’s classrooms ignited the ideal of serving the nation through engineering, it was the practice of generations of engineers devoted to national construction that allowed this ideal to take root.

Academician Lü Jian’s great-uncle Xu Xiuhui was an internationally renowned hydraulic expert. In 1946, at the age of only 28, he participated in the early design of the Three Gorges Project, becoming one of the earliest Chinese experts to devote himself to it. Due to historical changes, the project was suspended, but the dream never faded.

Half a century later, nearly eighty years old, Xu Xiuhui returned to China and witnessed the historic moment of the river closure of the Three Gorges Project. From drawings to reality, from youth to old age—this was a dream pursued over more than half a century. Even while abroad, he always cared about the Three Gorges; even in his eighties, he continued offering advice for major national projects.

From blueprints to the dam itself, from dream to reality, generations of SJTU engineers built the foundation of a great national project through half a century of perseverance.

As time moves to the present, Academician Lü Jian, with nearly 27 years of experience in France, stands as an outstanding ambassador of Sino-French scientific and educational exchange. In 2011, he was elected to the French National Academy of Technologies, becoming the first member of Chinese origin among its more than 300 academicians.

His research focuses on cutting-edge fields such as advanced materials and 4D printing. He maintains close collaboration with Professor Zied Moumni, the French director of the institute, in the development of novel electro-controlled intelligent materials. This form of research-driven Sino-French collaboration vividly reflects the institute’s philosophy of “rooted in China, connected to the world.”

From SJTU to France, and from France to the world—his trajectory echoes the institute’s educational philosophy across time and space. This bidirectional flow of knowledge and culture represents a new expression of “inheritance” in a globalized context.

Over the years, Academician Lü Jian has continuously supported SJTU and actively participated in activities of the Paris Elite Institute of Technology, passing on both international academic vision and deep patriotism to generations of students.

On the occasion of the 130th anniversary, Academician Lü Jian wrote a special message to the students of the Paris Elite Institute of Technology.

From the generation of his grandfather striving to “save the nation through engineering,” to his own pursuit of “strengthening the nation through science and technology,” and now to the new generation of SPEIT students dedicated to “serving the nation through innovation”—this is a relay of spirit spanning a century. Each generation answers, in its own way, the questions of its time: how to serve the nation, and what it means to be part of SJTU.

Inheritance is the shared learning of classmates a century ago, and the Three Gorges monument standing today;

Inheritance is the 27 years of pursuit along the Seine, and today’s honor of Sino-French academicians;

Inheritance is also the enduring answer of SJTU over 130 years: “born out of striving for strength, prospering through reform, flourishing through talent.”

Today, the SPEIT stands at a key node in this chain of inheritance.

Our students will become the writers of the next chapter.

Even in its 130th year, SJTU is still in its prime; our inheritance reaches far!