Ye Peida was a famous scientist in microwave transmissions and optical fiber communication, and a senior member of the Chinese Academy of Science. He was born in 1915 and his ancestral home was Nanhui, Shanghai. Ye graduated from the Department of Electrical Engineering of Peiyang University in 1938, and continued his studies at Columbia University from 1945 to 1946. From 1947 to 1949, he worked as an engineer at the Central Radio Station and at the same time taught at Jinling University (now Nanjing University). He started to teach at the Department of Electrical Engineering of Peiyang University from September 1949. In 1952, Peiyang University was renamed as Tianjin University. Ye Peida also worked as the Director and Professor of the Department of Electrical Engineering of Tianjin University.

Ye Peida was the co-founder of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications. Since 1955, he worked successively as the Director of the Department of Radio Transmission, Assistant to the Dean, Deputy Dean, Dean, Honorary Dean and Honorary President of Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications until today. He was elected as a member of the Standing Committee of the 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th China Democratic League, convener of the assessment on Electronics and Communication by the Academic Degree Committee of the State Council, division member of the appraisal team, and team leader of the optics division of the National Natural Science Foundation of China. He served successively as a member of the Chinese Institute of Electronics, member and standing member of the Chinese Institute of Communication, and chairperson of the Microwave Transmission Committee. He was the chief expert of the panel in the Information Office.

He was also at the same time a member of the International Committee of the IEEE Communications Society (ComSoc), a member of the Asia/Pacific Regional Committee; member of the International Management Committee of the International Conference, Integrated Optics and Optical Fibre Communications; fellow of the Electromagnetics Academy of Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Professor Ye Peida was one of the important pioneers in the field of microwave transmission and optic fibre communication. In the late 1940s, Ye Peida led the designing, assembling and testing work of three projects: the first 100 kw high-voltage broadcast transmitter; the then largest multiple rhombic antenna, and the broadcasting tower on Nanjing Huaihai Road. In the early 1950s, Ye worked at a large-scale broadcast transmitting station and on the broadcasting system of Tiananmen. From 1958 to 1966, he worked on the research and development of microwave circular waveguide H01 communication, and first started research on Air Optical Communication. From 1973 to 1977, he participated in the research and development of the microwave 960 relay stations of the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications. For the first time in China he developed the microwave waveguide phase equalizer and the microwave waveguide direct coupler. He also designed the 120 digital microwave communication system. After 1978, he worked mainly on the research of optic fibre communication and lightwave technology, and obtained a series of major achievements.

Professor Ye Peida was renowned internationally for his academic achievements and his contribution to international academic events. He was awarded the Golden Key of the Independence Hall In 1989, he received from the IEEE’s President an award for his contribution to the development of IEEE. In the same year, he was also granted an “Award for Contributions in Telecommunication Education in China”. In 1991, he won the second prize in the Technology Exchange held by the China Association for Science and Technology. In 1997, he was granted a Distinguished Member Award by the IEEE Communications Society.