On May 29, Professor Konstantin Papailiou, President of the International Council on Large Electric Systems (CIGRE), visited the Department of Electrical Engineering at Tsinghua University by invitation and delivered an academic lecture on the history and future development of overhead high-voltage transmission lines. More than 30 faculty and student representatives attended the event, including Sun Kai, Deputy Head of the Department of Electrical Engineering; Liang Xidong, Professor of the Department and Dean of Weiyang College; and Wu Chao, faculty member of the Department. The lecture was chaired by Sun Kai.

Sun Kai first introduced Professor Papailiou’s professional background and academic accomplishments. Liang Xidong highlighted CIGRE’s important role in the global power industry and reviewed Professor Papailiou’s longstanding and productive collaborations with Chinese universities and enterprises. Subsequently, on behalf of the Tsinghua University Institute for Energy Internet Innovation, Sun Kai and Liang Xidong presented Professor Papailiou with a Distinguished Visiting Scholar Certificate.

Sun Kai and Liang Xidong Present Professor Papailiou with the Commemorative Certificate

Professor Papailiou then delivered an academic lecture entitled Transmission Technology—A Critical Enabler of the Energy Transition: A Glorious History and Reflections on Future Development. During the lecture, Professor Papailiou reviewed the historical evolution of overhead high-voltage transmission lines and the major milestones that have shaped their development. He provided a systematic overview of the principal challenges currently encountered in transmission line engineering practice, including ice accretion, conductor galloping, and mechanical failures of insulators, as well as the extensive efforts undertaken to address these issues. He emphasized the irreplaceable role of transmission engineering in today’s energy transition and encouraged young people in China to actively participate in international organizations such as CIGRE, contributing to the future development of power grids worldwide.

Professor Papailiou Delivers the Academic Lecture

Following the lecture, faculty members and students engaged in discussions with Professor Papailiou on topics including the integration of scientific research with engineering practice, working experiences in international organizations, and the sustainable development of transmission engineering.

Discussion Session

Participants at the Lecture

Group Photo

Following the lecture, Professor Papailiou also participated in the “Dean’s Afternoon Tea” event hosted by Weiyang College, where he exchanged views with more than ten undergraduate students on topics including career planning and industry development.

Weiyang College Dean’s Afternoon Tea

Guest Biography

Professor Konstantin Papailiou is an internationally recognized authority in the field of transmission and transformation insulation. He has published more than 100 academic papers and has authored or edited numerous authoritative industry publications, including the monographs Composite Insulators, Power Systems Handbook, Overhead High-Voltage Lines and Underground Cables, and the Orange Book Wind-Induced Conductor Galloping, as well as CIGRE’s first Green Book, Overhead Lines, together with multiple CIGRE technical brochures that have provided essential technical guidance for engineering practice worldwide. He has served CIGRE continuously for more than 40 years, progressing from Working Group member to Study Committee Chair, and was elected President of CIGRE in 2024. In 2014, he founded the CIGRE Science & Engineering journal and served as its Editor-in-Chief through 2020. For many years, he has taught courses on overhead high-voltage transmission lines at the University of Stuttgart and TU Dresden, while also supervising doctoral and master’s students at institutions including ETH Zurich, EPFL, TU Dresden, the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, and the Université de Sherbrooke in Canada.