The Business Standard of the U.S. reported (June 19) that Zhang Zhijian, who was one of China's top nuclear scientists and the Vice-President of Harbin Engineering University and Vice-President of the Chinese Nuclear Society died after falling from a building. He was also a member of the standing committee of the Communist Party committee at the university. It said the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that the university in the capital of Heilongjiang said that police had ruled out homicide as the cause of death after on-site investigations failed to provide further details. There was no other official statement about Zhang Zhijian's death. A statement issued by the university read: "Harbin Engineering University announces with deep grief that Professor Zhang Zhijian regrettably fell off a building and died at 9.34 am on June 17, 2021,. The university expresses deep sorrow over the passing of comrade Zhang Zhijian and deep condolences to his family." Zhang Zhijian was awarded the Qian Sanqiang Technology Award, named after the father of China's nuclear programme, by the state-owned China National Nuclear Corporation for his contribution to nuclear power simulation and safety research in 2019. Last May, he received the National Award for Excellence in Innovation. Two days before his death the university announced that Yin Jingwei, 41, the former dean of the college of underwater acoustic engineering, had been appointed as a new vice-president. The university was one of the two Chinese universities with close ties to the military that had been banned from using a US-developed computer software platform last June, amid tensions between China and the United States over technology.