The second installment of the 2026 "SAIL" series and the third SPARK lecture were successfully held at the International Campus. The event featured a keynote speech by Prof. Chen Hudong, Professor at Zhejiang University. Prof. Chen’s talk, titled "Life on the Lattice: Fluid Simulation and Digital Physics," drew a distinguished audience including LI Min, Chief of International Campus, WU Yingcai, Executive Vice Dean of International Campus, Dean of ZJUI, CHEN Liang, Vice Dean of International Campus, and faculty members.
During the lecture, Prof. Chen reflected on his four-decade career spanning both academic research and industrial application. He traced the evolution of LBM from its theoretical inception to solving complex turbulence modeling challenges, and finally to its commercialization. Using the development of PowerFLOW as a case study, he shared insights into integrating fundamental research with engineering practice, while also offering perspectives on the future of "Digital Physics" and interdisciplinary studies. The presentation was lauded for its balance of theoretical depth and practical relevance.
The interactive Q&A session was equally engaging. Drawing from his extensive cross-disciplinary experience, Prof. Chen emphasized the importance of mastering fundamentals and fostering multi-disciplinary collaboration. He encouraged young scholars to focus on creating genuine value rather than pursuing accolades, urging them to remain grounded and patient in their academic journeys.
This event serves as a key component of the Campus’s faculty development initiative, the "Dengfeng Plan," specifically under the " SAIL " forum series. It aims to provide role models and practical guidance for early-career researchers. Moving forward, the International Campus will continue to roll out a series of high-impact academic activities to support the growth of both faculty and students and to advance disciplinary development.
About the Speaker
Prof. Chen is internationally recognized as one of the pioneers of the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM). With profound expertise in kinetic theory and turbulence modeling, he has published over a hundred papers in top-tier journals such as Science, Reviews of Modern Physics, and Physical Review Letters. Bridging academia and industry, he led the development of PowerFLOW, the world's first commercial fluid simulation software based on LBM, which remains a leader in aeroacoustics, backed by more than 30 years of R&D experience in industrial software.
(Article: Office of Human Resources; Editing: CHEN Nuo; Editing in Charge: LI Yinan; Reviewer: ZHOU Jie, YANG Yi; Final Review: QU Haidong)