The 2017 Sino-UK Symposium on Advanced Materials and Structures/Discipline Development Forum which was jointly hosted by Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU) and Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) successfully took place in NPU Old Campus on November 7, 2017. The meeting was organized by Office of Disciplines Development, Office of International Cooperation, School of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Natural and Applied Sciences, School of Mechanical Engineering, QMUL Engineering School, and NPU and NPU-QMUL Joint Research Institute of Advanced Materials and Structures.

The meeting was hosted by Prof. Jie Kong, Dean of QMUL Engineering School, NPU. Vice President Weihong Zhang of NPU attended the meeting and delivered a welcome speech to show appreciation to the prestigious experts and scholars presented. The official operation of QMUL Engineering School, NPU and the establishment of NPU-QMUL Joint Research Institute of Advanced Materials and Structures have built a solid foundation for the success of this meeting.

During the two-days meeting, professors and experts in Materials Science and Structures from QMUL, National University of Singapore, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, and NPU were invited to give presentations and reports on advanced ceramic materials, nano energy materials, functional polymers and composites, biomaterials and engineering, and material structure design and optimization. The meeting aims to promote cooperation and communication in the fields of materials science and material structure design and optimization between China and UK for the purpose to advance in-depth research and application.

The meeting was filled with an atmosphere of international academic communication and exchange. The presitigious professors and experts have advocated a lot creative ideas in new directions in the area of advanced materials and structures. Professors and leaders from Office of International Cooperation, Office of Disciplines Development, School of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, School of Natural and Applied Sciences, QMUL Engineering School, NPU also joined the meeting.