Prof. Xu Qinan from CSSRC, chief designer of Jiaolong Submersible, China's first manned deep-sea submersible reaching a record depth of 7,062 meters in the Pacific's Mariana Trench during a dive in June 2012, was elected as academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), one of the country's top academic institutions. Prof. Xu is the eldest among the newly-elected 51 prominent scientists.

Prof. Xu Qinan, was born March, 1936, in Shanghai and his ancestral home is in Zhenhai District, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province. Since his graduation from the Shipbuilding Department of Shanghai Jiaotong University in 1958, Prof. Xu Qinan has been working at China Ship Scientific Research Center (CSSRC) and successively holding the posts of senior engineer, researcher, deputy director of research division and deputy chief engineer.

Since 1959, Prof. Xu Qinan has directed and established the largest range of test facilities for deep sea simulation in China, which, together with testing, measuring and analyzing techniques of cylindrical pressure shell structure founded by him, has become the indispensable means for developing various types of submersible structure domestically.

For nearly fifteen years, Prof. Xu Qinan, serving as chief designer, has successfully developed a series of China’s unprecedented submersibles, ranging from the shallow water to the deep sea, from the manned to the unmanned, from the tether-operated to the autonomous, such as, 300m one man atmospheric diving suit, tether-operated submersible with dual functions (i. e. one man and unmanned), 600m tether-operated high-power submersible and 6 000m autonomous underwater vehicle and he, serving as deputy chief designer, has developed 1000m untethered underwater vehicle. Prof. Xu Qinan has made a pioneer breakthrough in respect of the research and development plan, technical guideline, design and manufacture, test application and managing organization, etc. and has provided sea rescue, offshore oil exploitation, deep sea multi-metal exploration, etc. with important, advanced and self-developed equipment and has thus made contributions to China’s high technology of deep-sea submersibles in overtaking the advanced level internationally.

Prof. Xu Qinan was awarded model worker once in Jiangsu Province and twice in Wuxi City and eleven scientific and technological progress prizes.

To commend for his distinguished contributions to the state high-tech research and development program, Prof. Xu Qinan was awarded the second prize and the first prize by the State Science and Technology Commission in 1993 and 1996 respectively, the first prize of Guanghua Fund and was honored with the title of one of the six meritorious workers of science and technology in Shanghai in 1996.