In 1963, Zhu earned a bachelor's degree in Naval Architectures from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU).
[4] Zhu started his engineering career at 701st Research Institute.
[4] In 1982, Zhu became a visiting scholar in at University of California, Berkeley, where he researched in the area of ship hydrodynamics.
[4] In 2011, Zhu was elected an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE).
[3] On September 25, 2012, Zhu became general designer of Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning.