From October 12th to 13th, Jianghan University hosted the 2024 International Industry-Academia-Research-Application Cooperation Conference on Materials Science and Engineering, with a special focus on Photoelectrochemical Materials and Devices. Over 20 experts and scholars from around the world gathered by the shores of Sanjiao Lake to share research findings, explore the latest scientific technologies, and strengthen ties between universities, research institutes, and enterprises. The event aimed to focus on industry needs, build a platform for international academic dialogue and partnership, and facilitate the deep integration of industry practices, academic research, and practical applications. It also sought to cultivate a new generation of innovative talents, enhance the quality and scope of educational engagement with the global community, and achieve win-win cooperation and joint development.
This conference was jointly steered by the Ministry of Education and the People’s Government of Hubei Province, with organizational efforts led by the Center for School Development and Planning under the Ministry of Education and the Department of Education of Hubei Province. Jianghan University had the honor of hosting the event. Among the attendees were Jing Xinhua, President of Jianghan University; Huang Nianping, Director of the Foreign Cooperation and Exchange Office at the Department of Education of Hubei Province; Professor Klaus Müllen, a distinguished scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Germany and a member of the Chinese, German, and European Academies of Sciences; Professor Liu Guojun, a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and Queen's University; and experts and scholars from universities and research institutes around the world. The opening ceremony was chaired by Vice President Liu Jiyan.
In his speech, Huang Nianping extended warm congratulations on the successful convening of the conference and a hearty welcome to all the leaders and experts present at the event. He provided an overview of the conference’s background, current standing, and notable achievements. Huang, highly commended Jianghan University for its progress in academic discipline development in recent years. He noted that the university has diligently studied and implemented the spirit of President Xi Jinping's important speeches on educational openness, placing great emphasis on educational collaboration and positioning itself at the forefront in Hubei province. Huang believes this symposium will play a crucial role in fostering a platform for exchange and cooperation, charting new paths for innovation, and broadening the scope of academic research. It will lay a solid foundation for advancing the frontiers of science and applied technology in the field of photoelectrochemical materials and devices. He hopes that the attending experts and scholars will prioritize talent nurturing, enhance international collaboration, and focus on the construction and strengthening of industrial chains. Together they can contribute to the practical application of scientific achievements in photoelectrochemicals. The Hubei Provincial Department of Education remains committed to implementing an innovation-driven development strategy, actively promoting the deep integration of international industry-academia collaboration. It aims to explore new frontiers and pathways for growth, continuously generating new momentum and competitive edges. This willencourage more projects to take root, more talents to settle, and more scientific and technological achievements to be realized in Hubei.
In his address, Jing Xinhua warmly welcomed the attending leaders and guests on behalf of Jianghan University. He provided an overview of the university's basic profile, its growth trajectory, and advancements in teaching and research. Notably, following last year's symposium, the university has heeded the insights of academicians and experts, focusing intently on and delving deeply into the field of photoelectrochemical materials and devices, achieving remarkable new accomplishments. He emphasized that the university's integration of industry, education, research, and application, particularly in green synthesis processes for photoelectrochemical materials, has gained increasing prominence. This integration is actively contributing to the development of the optics-chip-screen-terminal-network and new energy batteryindustries in Wuhan and throughout Hubei. The university has been approved to establish the Hubei Provincial Engineering Research Center for Surface and Interface Regulation Technology and Equipment of New Energy Materials, as well as the Hubei International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Research on Sustainable Chemical Photoelectric Materials. Moreover, Jianghan University is actively pursuing the establishment of an Innovation and Intelligence Base for Sustainable Chemical Engineering and Technology. The university has already secured cooperation agreements with numerous experts from both domestic and international backgrounds.With sincerity, Jing invited experts and scholars from academia and industry to visit Jianghan University frequently for exchanges and guidance, providing intellectual support for the university's high-quality development. Together, they can explore scientific research collaborations, develop plans for future growth, and navigate the landscape of opportunities and challenges in the convergence of industry and academia, all in the pursuit of mutual prosperity and shared growth.
Jing Xinhua presented a letter of appointment to Klaus Mühlen, who has been honored as a Distinguished Professor at Jianghan University. In his speech, Professor Mühlen expressed his gratitude to his team and collaborators, and shared the achievements made in academic research and talent cultivation through recent collaborations with Chinese scientists. He also elaborated on the development of materials technology and its contributions to human society, and offered valuable insights and suggestions for future research directions and methodologies for young scholars.
The opening ceremony was attended by officials of theGeneralAdministrationOffice, the Publicity Department of the Party Committee, the Research Division, the Graduate School, the Development Planning and Discipline Construction Division, and the Personnel Department. Additionally, representatives from the School of Optoelectronic Materials and Technology, the State Key Laboratory of Precision Blasting, the Key Laboratory of Photoelectrochemical Materials and Devices of the Ministry of Education, and other related schools were present.
Over 20 experts and scholars from China and abroad presented at the symposium, including Academician Klaus Müllen, Academician Liu Guojun, Professor Hu Yongsheng from the Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Professor Wan Xiaobo from Jianghan University. Their discussion covered the cutting-edge of science and applied technologies in Photoelectrochemical materials and devices, touching on topics such as the structure and functionality of novel Photoelectrochemical, new energy chemistry and its applications, functional catalytic materials and technologies, and Photoelectrochemical intelligent sensing and recognition. This exchange has injected new momentum into further promoting international cooperation and high-quality development in the integration of industry, education, research, and application at the university.
Meanwhile, this symposium is a crucial part of Jianghan University's 2024 Alumni Week, themed 'Gather the Strength of Alumni to Empower the Two-way Development of the Alumni and the University..' The event features the 'Industry-Education Integration and Science-Education Convergence Achievement Exhibition.' The symposium highlights the university's international cooperation in industry-education-research-application integration and celebrates its achievements in developing top-tier disciplines. It serves to bring together alumni from around the world, fostering collaboration and shared growth between them and the university, and helping to build a development community between alumni and their alma mater. (By Chen Minying; Photo by He Mingkan)