Published : 2025-09-15

On 15 September 2020, Deng Sanrui (鄧三瑞), former president of College of Shipbuilding Engineering of Harbin Engineering University (HRBEU), and lifelong honorary professor of HRBEU, passed away at the age of 91.

Deng Sanrui dedicated his life to "ships, the sea, and national defence". Over the years, he led and participated in several "Firsts of China" in the fields of marine vessels and ocean engineering, which earned him the title "Father of China's Submarines".

Deng was born on 19 October 1929 and was a native of Ningyuan County, Hunan Province.

He worked successively at the PLA Military Institute of Engineering, College of Shipbuilding Engineering, and Harbin Engineering University, holding positions such as teaching assistant, lecturer, associate professor, and professor.

Deng served as the director of the shipbuilding teaching and research section of the Department of Naval Engineering at the PLA Military Institute of Engineering, and as the vice president and president of College of Shipbuilding Engineering.

He also served as a member of the first and second Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council's subject appraisal group, a council member of the third Chinese Society of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, and chairman of the third Heilongjiang Society of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, among other roles.

In 1956, Deng Sanrui participated in formulating the submarine plan for the national 12-year scientific and technological development plan; two years later, he led the design and development of New China's first experimental submarine.

In 1959, he again led the technical design for China's first independently designed submarine, and later served as the general design consultant for China's first nuclear submarine, making him a pioneer of China's submarine enterprise.

In the early 1990s, Deng Sanrui established the research field of military intelligent underwater robots, led the development of China's first military intelligent underwater robot, and is the founder of military intelligent underwater robots in China.

In addition to his contributions to China's military scientific research, Deng was also long engaged in the cultivation of high-calibre talent in the fields of marine vessels and ocean engineering.

He successively undertook teaching responsibilities for courses such as submarine structure, submarine design, and systems engineering, and trained many specialised technical personnel for China in the fields of naval architecture, ocean engineering, and systems engineering.