(From CHEN Xiang of Key Laboratory of Noise and Vibration Research) Prof R. Singh, from Ohio State University visited Institute of Acoustics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IACAS) in Beijing on September 8, 2011. He gave a thought-provoking seminar entitled "How to Formulate Research Problems, with Applications to Some Noise and Vibration Sources?". The seminar was chaired by Prof. Liu Bilong and attended by many researchers and students.

The seminar consisted of two major components. Firstly, he presented ways to formulate research questions from both academic and industrial perspective. He provided several basic mechanical vibration and noise examples for further elaboration. Then, several fundamental machinery and vehicle vibration and noise issues were discussed, especially friction-induced noise and vibration problems in vehicle brakes (the different mechanism of brake judder, groan and squeal and their corresponding methods of noise control). Overall, the seminar introduced novel research ideas and methods, which promote the understanding of the input of scientific researches among graduate students. After the seminar, a lively discussion took place between the attendees from the institute and Prof. Singh on some of the currently important topics in international noise and vibration control research.

Professor Rajendra Singh is The Donald D. Glower Chair in Engineering and Director of NSF I/UCRC Smart Vehicle Concepts Center atthe Ohio State University (USA). He has published more than 375 papers (including 185 journal articles), and has successfully guided over 110 graduate students. Prof. Singh is well recognized for research in machine dynamics, vibration, acoustics, and nonlinear dynamics with applications to vehicle NVH problems and geared systems. He serves on several national and international boards of professional societies and journals. As the vice president of Technical Activities for I-INCE, he has been organizing workshops for young professionals.Prof. Singhis also theFellow of AmericanAcoustical Society,AmericanSociety of Mechanical Engineersand Societyof Automotive Engineers.