On April 9, 2023, the award ceremony for the 4th Teaching Master Award, Outstanding Teaching Award, and Innovation and Entrepreneurship Talents Award was held at the Sports Center of the Huxi Campus of Chongqing University. Mingyuan Gu from Beijing Normal University, along with 20 other faculty members and students, was awarded. Professor Baizhan Li from the School of Civil Engineering at Chongqing University received the Outstanding Teaching Award for the Year 2022, making Chongqing University's first time receiving this prestigious award.
Over the past thirty years since he began his teaching career in 1985, Professor Baizhan Li has been dedicated to his teaching profession. He stays at the forefront of international science and technology, focusing on the national strategy of green and low-carbon development. He actively explores new educational and teaching methods, promoting the integration of education, research, and cultivating students. He has trained a group of innovative engineering talents with international perspectives who are adaptable and capable of future leaders. Professor Baizhan Li has received numerous awards, including the National Teaching Achievement Award and the National Scientific and Technological Progress Award. Additionally, he has been recognised as a National Outstanding Teacher, a Teaching Master, and a member of the Huang Danian Teacher Team.
From studying abroad to serving his country upon his return, Baizhan Li has always kept pace with the needs of his homeland. In 2002, he gave up the comfortable conditions of working in the UK and returned to Chongqing University. He integrated advanced scientific research, educational concepts, and teaching methods from abroad into the training of professional students. He proposed cultivating innovative talents in the field of green and low-carbon construction. He led the compilation of a series of textbooks and reference materials on green architecture, introduced the undergraduate interdisciplinary course "Green Architecture", and established a National Center for International Research of Green Buildings and Built Environments with nine internationally renowned universities, including the University of Cambridge. He also invited overseas experts to jointly undertake the nationally branded English course "Sustainable Architecture", and built a curriculum system of "core courses + interdisciplinary courses + cutting-edge courses". He has assembled a team of more than 20 professional teachers dedicated to the independent cultivation of top innovative talents in the field of low-carbon green architecture. Under his guidance, nearly 600 doctoral and master's students have been trained, with over 50% of them employed in key industries and sectors in western China. Eight master's graduates are actively involved in poverty alleviation efforts at the grassroots level in western China. Additionally, a large number of internationally-oriented, high-level engineering and technical personnel have been trained in the field of low-carbon green architecture to support the development of the industry, especially in the context of the "Belt and Road" initiative.
As a university teacher, Professor Baizhang Li always inspires students with full enthusiasm, leads students with noble sentiments, and attracts students with profound knowledge. He insists on the combination of learning and critical thinking, unity of knowledge and action, and teaching according to students' needs, which is welcomed by the students. Upon receiving the "Outstanding Teaching Award", Professor Baizhan Li expressed that this significant honor not only acknowledges his efforts but also serves as motivation for his future endeavors. He remains steadfast in his pursuit of knowledge, committed to innovation, and devoted to cultivating top-notch talents who will contribute to the construction of China.
It is reported that the "Three Teaching Awards": "Teaching Master Award, Outstanding Teaching Award, and Innovation and Entrepreneurship Talents Award" are organized by the China Teachers' Development Foundation and funded by the Shenzhen Chen Yidan Public Welfare and Charity Foundation. The awards were launched in 2019 and are selected once a year. They are currently the largest awards in the field of teaching in higher education. The first three "three teaching awards" awarded a total of 25 "Mr." with moral education and teaching. Additionally, 30 awards were presented for innovation and excellence. Among these, the "Teaching Master Award" was granted to Zhizhi Yao from Tsinghua University, Boli Zhang from Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Yifu Lin from University. This is the fourth edition of the award, with a total of 1 Teaching Master Award, 9 Outstanding Teaching Awards, and 10 Innovative and Entrepreneurial Excellence Awards have been awarded.
