On February 9, 2021, the American Academy of Engineering announced the selection of its new fellows. Zhai Wanming, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and chief professorof Southwest Jiaotong University, was selected.
A total of 129 of the world's top engineering leaders were elected members of the Academy of Engineering in 2021, including 106 American fellows and 23 foreign fellows from China, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada and other powerful countries in engineering education.Professor Zhai was selected for his contributions to the design and operation of high-speed rail transportation networks.