From October 20th to 23rd, the 17th Asian International Conference of Fluid Machinery (AICFM17), jointly organized by Jiangsu University and the Chinese Society of Engineering Thermophysics, was held in Zhenjiang. During the conference, the general meeting of the Asian Fluid Machinery Committee officially announced the election of Shouqi Yuan as the next Chairman of the Asian Fluid Machinery Committee (starting from January 2024). This marks the first time a Chinese scholar has held the position of Chairman of the Asian Fluid Machinery Committee.

As the director of the National Research Center of Pumps at Jiangsu University, as well as the director of the National Center for International Research on Energy Saving Technology of Fluid Engineering Equipment, Shouqi Yuan has made significant contributions in various areas. He pioneered the theory of overload-free submersible pumps for agricultural use, achieved breakthroughs in key technologies for high-efficiency centrifugal pump design, and tackled technical challenges in high-performance spray irrigation units. He has received numerous awards and recognitions, including two second-class National Science and Technology Progress Awards, two second-class National Teaching Achievement Awards, two first-class Ministry of Education Science and Technology Progress Awards, two first-class Jiangsu Province Science and Technology Progress Awards, and one first-class Shen Nong Agricultural Science and Technology Award. He holds 14 granted international invention patents and 155 granted Chinese invention patents. As the first or corresponding author, he has published 396 papers, published 16 books, and contributed to the compilation of 17 national and industry standards.

Shouqi Yuan has led the high-quality development of the drainage machinery industry, making outstanding contributions to the innovation of water pumps and water-saving equipment in China, and promoting national food security. He has long served as the Vice Chairman of the Chinese Society for Agricultural Machinery and the Chinese Society for Agricultural Engineering, and previously held the position of Vice President of the Asian Society of Agricultural Engineering. He has also been a long-standing committee member of the ASME Fluids Engineering Division, and has chaired more than ten high-level international academic conferences. As a recipient of the National Distinguished Young Scientists Fund and the Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation's Science and Technology Innovation Award, Shouqi Yuan was selected as a leading talent in the National "Thousand Talents Program" and has received honors such as the Asian Fluid Machinery Outstanding Engineer Award and the China Agricultural Machinery Industry Meritorious Medal for the 40th Anniversary of Reform and Opening-up.

Established in 2007 in South Korea, the Asian Fluid Machinery Committee has had previous chairpersons including Professor Kwang-Yong Kim from Inha University in South Korea, and Professor Chisachi Kato from the University of Tokyo in Japan. Shouqi Yuan's election as the new Chairman further enhances the international influence and reputation of the field of fluid machinery at Jiangsu University.