From October 24 to 26, the 4th Peking University "Boya Materials Thinking" International PhD Student Academic Forum was successfully held at Peking University’s Xinyan Campus. Guided by the Peking University Graduate School and jointly hosted by the School of Materials Science and Engineering (referred to as the "Materials School") and the School of Advanced Materials at Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, the forum brought together over 100 outstanding PhD students from home and abroad, along with representatives from academia and industry. Through diverse formats such as expert lectures, sub-forums, poster presentations, and career development dialogues, participants explored the interdisciplinary integration and frontier development of materials science.
Group Photo of Attendees
On the morning of the 25th, the opening ceremony was held at the Academic Exchange Center of Xinyan Campus, co-hosted by postdoctoral fellows Zhaoqi Dong and Ying Xie from the Materials School. A card magic performance themed "Ever-Changing" kicked off the event, cleverly echoing the infinite possibilities and innovative charm of the microscopic world in materials science.
Guanjie Xin Performing the Opening Magic Show
In his address, Ming Li, Party Secretary of the Materials School, reviewed the college’s adherence to the spirit of "Genuine Materials, Grounded Yet Aspirational," highlighting a series of achievements in discipline construction and national-level platform development. He noted that the recently held Global Forum of Deans in Materials Science further demonstrated the School’s commitment to deeply integrating into the global innovation network. He emphasized that the forum aims to build a high-level exchange platform for outstanding PhD students worldwide, encouraging young scholars to cross disciplinary boundaries, spark innovative thinking in the era of AI-empowered materials research and development, and become the backbone of driving multidisciplinary collaboration and leading the future of materials science.
Ming Li Delivering the Opening Address
During the plenary session of the opening ceremony, three experts from academia and industry shared cutting-edge achievements in interdisciplinary integration. Researcher Ying Liu from the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology delivered a lecture titled "Nanobioeffects and Safety," systematically explaining the migration and transformation patterns of environmental nanoparticles in organisms and their health risks, providing critical scientific evidence for environmental safety assessments.
Ying Liu Delivering the Opening Plenary Lecture
Associate Professor Peng Wen from Tsinghua University presented "Additive Manufacturing of Customized Degradable Metal Bone Implants," vividly showcasing a case where 3D printing technology was used to create a degradable metal pivot for a young patient, successfully repairing bone defects and highlighting breakthroughs in precision medicine.
Peng Wen Delivering the Opening Plenary Lecture
Dr. Yuzhi Zhang, Director of Materials Science R&D at Deep Potential Technology, spoke on "MatMaster: The Intelligent Agent for Materials Research," depicting how AI, as an "intelligent commander," is reshaping the paradigm of materials R&D, sparking deep reflections among attendees on the future form of scientific research.
Dr. Yuzhi Zhang from Deep Potential Technology Delivering the Opening Plenary Lecture
From the afternoon of the 25th to the morning of the 26th, six thematic sub-forums—"Advanced Carbon Materials," "New Energy Materials," "Optoelectronic Materials," "Biomedical Materials," "Electrocatalytic Materials," and "Two-Dimensional and Novel Structural Materials"—were held in classrooms at Xinyan Campus. Researchers Biao Li, Yonggang Wang, and Xun Xiao from the Materials School delivered invited talks, sharing the latest progress in their respective fields. Participating PhD students gave oral presentations in English, with on-site judges providing professional commentary and engaging in in-depth discussions on research issues, fully affirming the academic vision and innovative awareness of the presenters. Concurrently, over 100 academic posters were displayed in the Xinyan Campus teaching building, covering multiple frontier areas of materials research. The posters, rich in visuals and rigorously structured, attracted numerous faculty and students for exchanges, creating a vibrant academic atmosphere.
Invited Talks at Sub-Forums
Sub-Forum Presentation Scene
On the afternoon of the 26th, a career development dialogue for young students focused on diversified career paths in the materials field. Representatives from companies such as China National Machinery Industry Corporation, Sinochem, Oriental Yuhong, EVE Energy, and BOE were invited to share industry trends, talent needs, and training systems, helping young students broaden their career horizons.
In the enterprise-themed presentation session, representatives from various sectors delivered specialized reports on their business layouts, talent cultivation within their fields, team building, career development, and recruitment. They systematically shared core strategies and cutting-edge practices in current enterprise talent development. Combining industry characteristics with their own practices, the representatives revealed common pathways and differentiated innovations in cultivating high-quality technical and skilled talent.
Enterprise-Themed Presentation Sharing
Subsequently, Jing Zhang, Deputy Party Secretary of the college, moderated a roundtable discussion titled "Exploration, Growth, Win-Win: Diversified Development Paths for New Materials Talent," where guests engaged in in-depth discussions on the transition from academic research to industrial applications.
"Exploration, Growth, Win-Win: Diversified Development Paths for New Materials Talent" Roundtable Discussion
After a brief tea break and free exchange, the forum proceeded to the closing ceremony, co-hosted by Xie Ying from the Materials College and Jiayi Li from Peking University Health Science Center.
The closing ceremony began with a video recap of the conference, reliving the highlights of the three days. Professor Luning Wang, Vice President of the University of Science and Technology Beijing, then delivered a keynote titled "Biomedical Degradable Zinc Alloys: From Material Development to Clinical Trials," announcing significant progress in degradable zinc alloy ligament reconstruction technology, offering new solutions for sports medicine.
Luning Wang Delivering the Closing Plenary Lecture
Jie Wang, Publishing Director of KeAi and Editor-in-Chief of Bioactive Materials, presented "Materials Journals: Academic Submission Standards and Advanced Publishing Strategies," systematically introducing journal development achievements and submission guidelines. This provided practical guidance for researchers on paper publication and showcased the international influence and academic service capabilities of domestic journals.
Jie Wang Delivering the Closing Plenary Lecture
During the subsequent award ceremony, after rigorous evaluation by the review panel, 25 Outstanding Poster Awards and 20 Outstanding Presentation Awards were conferred. Attending experts and leaders presented certificates to the winners and took group photos.
Group Photo of Outstanding Poster Award Winners with Guests
Group Photo of Outstanding Presentation Award Winners with Guests
Award Ceremony Scene
Finally, Jing Zhang, Deputy Party Secretary of the Materials School at Peking University, delivered the closing remarks. She noted that the forum, centered on the frontiers of materials science, provided participants with innovative perspectives and research opportunities. The inspiring presentations and discussions by young scholars and industry leaders injected new vitality and creativity into the discipline’s development. She encouraged PhD students to maintain a sincere passion for exploring truth, harbor the patriotic sentiment of writing their papers on the land of the motherland, and ensure their research achievements not only "stay on the shelf" but also "reach the market," integrating personal aspirations into the grand tide of achieving high-level scientific and technological self-reliance.
Jing Zhang Delivering the Closing Remarks
Amid warm applause, the 4th "Boya Materials Thinking" International PhD Student Academic Forum came to a successful conclusion.
Closing Ceremony Group Photo
