On September 20, the International Disciplinary Evaluation Meeting for Materials Science was held at the Yingjie Exchange Center, hosted by the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Peking University and co-organized by the School of Advanced Materials (SAM) at Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School and the Peking University Zhengzhou Advanced Materials Research Institute. Attendees included Jin Zhang, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee, Executive Vice President of Peking University, and Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Yunfeng Xiao, Director of the Office of Disciplinary Development; Ruqiang Zou, Dean of the School of Materials Science and Engineering; and over 20 experts and scholars from leading global institutions in materials science, including Stanford University, National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Australian National University, University of Tokyo, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, City University of Hong Kong, Sorbonne University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Sungkyunkwan University, and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.
Meeting Overview
The meeting reviewed the Development Report of Peking University’s Materials Science Discipline and the Construction Report of the School of Materials Science and Engineering. It featured in-depth discussions on critical topics, including current priorities in disciplinary development, new materials in the era of artificial intelligence, transnational engineering talent cultivation, the establishment of an independent knowledge system for materials science, and emerging trends in industry-academia-research integration.
Reports by Huanping Zhou, Ting Lei, and Yinguo Xiao
Expert Discussions
The attending experts emphasized that, based on the foundation and characteristics of the materials science discipline, comprehensive and sustainable top-level planning should be implemented across multiple dimensions, including distinctive research directions, disciplinary operation mechanisms, faculty development, talent cultivation, and high-value transformation of research outcomes. They highlighted the critical role of materials science in Peking University’s new engineering framework and proposed setting clear goals and taking planned actions in areas such as enhancing the internationalization of faculty, cultivating world-class talent, improving engineering innovation and industrialization capabilities, and strengthening international academic exchanges.
The experts acknowledged the remarkable achievements of Peking University’s materials science discipline, which has grown from inception to prominence over the past two decades. They encouraged the discipline to pursue landmark scientific research, tackle major leading issues, explore frontier interdisciplinary fields, and leverage its unique strengths to make greater contributions to the global development of materials science.
The meeting summarized the 20-year development experience of Peking University’s materials science discipline, outlining a blueprint for building a world-class discipline and achieving high-quality development. Standing at a new historical starting point, the School of Materials Science and Engineering will seize this international evaluation as an opportunity to continue adhering to the strategic orientation of “focusing on four key areas” (national strategy, economic development, scientific frontiers, and human health). The school will deepen original exploration, tackle critical core technologies, expand international cooperation and exchanges, and strive to build an academic hub with global influence, injecting new vitality into the construction of a science and technology powerhouse and the advancement of global materials science.
