To memorialize Mr. Liu Guochang, one of the important founders of Chinese engineering geology discipline and the founder of regional engineering geology theory system, the first Liu Guochang Lecture was held in Changchun on August 8th, 2022, sponsored by Chinese Geological Society and Chinese Rock Mechanics and Engineering Society, and jointly organized by Engineering Geology Committee of Chinese Geological Society, Earth Science Department of National Natural Science Foundation of China, Jilin University, Chang’an University, State Key Laboratory of Deep Geotechnical Mechanics and Underground Engineering. Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Academician Lin Xueyu of Jilin University, Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor He Manchao of China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Academician Peng Jianbing of Chang’an University, Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, Professor Lin Jun of Jilin University, Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, Professor Sun Youhong, President of China University of Geosciences (Beijing), 11 National Outstanding Youths, 9 National Excellent Youths and 11 National-level talents, and more than 200 experts and scholars from 38 universities, research institutes and enterprises in China attended the conference. Professor Zheng Weitao, Executive Vice President of Jilin University, attended the conference on behalf of the university. Experts and scholars in engineering geology gathered together to remember Mr. Liu Guochang, and the theme of the conference was the heritage and development of engineering geology, which was held by the College of Construction Engineering of Jilin University.

The opening ceremony of the conference was hosted by Prof. Wang Qing, Deputy Director of Engineering Geology Committee of Chinese Geological Society, College of Construction Engineering. Prof. Zheng Weitao, Executive Vice President of Jilin University, delivered a welcome speech on behalf of the university; Prof. Lin Xueyu, academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jilin University, delivered a speech on behalf of Mr. Liu Guochang’s students; Prof. Sun Youhong, academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, President of China University of Geosciences (Beijing), delivered a speech on behalf of sister institutions; Prof. Tang Huiming, Director of Engineering Geology Committee of Chinese Geological Society and Deputy Secretary of Party Committee of China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), delivered a speech on behalf of the national engineering geology community; Prof. Fan Wen, Vice President of Chang’an University, delivered a speech on behalf of Chang’an University, where Mr. Liu Guochang had worked; Prof. Zhang Wen, Vice President of College of Construction Engineering, introduced the preparation of the conference on behalf of the conference team.

The first Liu Guochang Lecture was reported by two keynote speakers. The main lecturer, Academician He Manchao, reported on “The Mission of Engineering Geology” and the main lecturer, Academician Peng Jianbing, reported on “Engineering Geology Inheritance and Innovation-From Regional Stability to Disaster Dynamics”. The two academicians made a systematic elaboration and outlook on the development history and innovative mission of engineering geology discipline, as well as the focus and difficult problems of engineering geology in national major engineering construction.

There were seven invited academic presentations at the conference. Prof. Tang Huiming, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Prof. Shi Bin of Nanjing University, Prof. Chen Jianping of Jilin University, Prof. Wu Faquan of Shaoxing University of Arts and Sciences, Prof. Xu Qiang, Vice President of Chengdu University of Technology, Prof. Ye Weimin of Tongji University, and Researcher Qi Shengwen of Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences made special invited reports. A memorial activity for Mr. Liu Guochang was also held on the day of the conference.

Prof. Guo Wei, Executive President of College of Construction Engineering, presided over the closing ceremony and expressed his gratitude to all the experts, members and representatives for their support and trust. In the free speech session, Academician He Manchao, Academician Peng Jianbing, Professor Wang Fawu from Tongji University and Professor Xu Ling from Xi’an Jiaotong University gave speeches. Director Tang Huiming summarized the meeting, pointing out that engineering geology has a great mission and is responsible for the development of the country, and the holding of the Liu Guochang Lecture is a milestone for the engineering geology community in China.

The first Liu Guochang Lecture is a grand event in the field of engineering geology in China. The meeting was led by academicians and experts, which built a platform for academic and experience exchange for experts and scholars in the field of engineering geology nationwide, and played a strong role in promoting the inheritance and development, theory and practice of engineering geology. The conference attracted more than 4,000 online participants and more than 133,000 online viewers of the conference album. The success of the conference was supported by various societies, universities, research institutes and colleagues from all fields.

Mr. Liu Guochang, former second-class professor of Changchun Geological College, founded the first “Department of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology” in 1952, which is one of the pioneering persons of hydrogeology and engineering geology in China. The Department of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology has also become the national cradle of training hydrogeology and engineering geology talents, and has opened the first higher education in engineering geology in China, cultivating a large number of hydrogeology and engineering geology talents and sending them to major universities and enterprises in China, making important contributions to the development of engineering geology disciplines in China.

Mr. Liu Guochang established the theoretical system of regional engineering geology. He was the director of the Geological Society of China, the honorary director of the Engineering Geology Committee, the deputy director of the Geomechanics Committee, the head of the Department of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology of the former Changchun Geological College (now the Department of Geology of Jilin University), and the vice president of the former Xi’an Geological College (now Chang’an University).

The “First Liu Guochang Lecture” is an important event for the Chinese engineering geology community to memorialize Mr. Liu Guochang, and an important academic activity to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the geology discipline of the University. The successful holding of the conference has further strengthened the construction of the platform of geology resource and geology engineering in our university, and will play a positive role in improving the influence of geology discipline in Jilin University.