WUST News Recently, the Ministry of Education announced the list of approved international joint laboratory projects for 2023. WUST has been approved to establish the Joint International Research Laboratory of Refractories and Metallurgy. This marks WUST's first international joint laboratory project and is the first of its kind among all universities in Hubei.
The Joint International Research Laboratory of Refractories and Metallurgy is based at WUST and is a collaborative effort with renowned foreign universities in related fields, including Montanuniversitaet Leoben and Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg. The joint laboratory is focused on the global steel industry's carbon neutrality technology in line with the national "Dual Carbon" strategy. It aims to conduct international collaborative research in fundamental theories, common key technologies, and engineering applications, including high-throughput design and preparation of refractory materials, intelligent manufacturing of refractory materials, and standardization of evaluation methods for refractory materials. It aims to accelerate technological innovation in refractory materials, generating original, forward-looking, and systematic research outcomes with international influence. By improving the lifespan of thermal equipment and enhancing energy utilization efficiency, it will provide support for achieving a 30% reduction in carbon emissions by the steel industry in 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The joint laboratory has two deans appointed. Professor Li Yawei from WUST serves as the Chinese director, while Professor Harald Harmuth from Montanuniversitaet Leoben serves as the foreign director.
WUST has been attaching great importance to the construction of the scientific research platform system all through the way. The approval of this laboratory further expands WUST's research platform construction, enhances WUST's research and innovation support capabilities, and fully reflects WUST's active integration into national regional strategies, focusing on advantages and specialties, strengthening organized scientific research, and continuously enhancing independent innovation capabilities of WUST. This new engine will contribute to the construction of WUST's "Double First-Class" initiative and empower high-quality development during the 14th Five-Year Plan period.
The joint laboratory is an important strategic project launched by the Ministry of Education to embrace international scientific frontiers and meet national major needs. It has been carried out since 2014 and is an important measure to implement the "National Medium- and Long-Term Plan for Education Reform and Development (2010-2020)", strengthen cooperation with foreign high-level universities, establish teaching and research cooperation platforms, jointly advance high-level basic research and high-tech research, and improve the quality of innovative talent cultivation. The main objectives of the joint laboratory are as follows:
1. Support the development of first-class disciplines, lead in emerging and interdisciplinary directions, and achieve international first-class level in disciplinary competitiveness. 2. Undertake international cutting-edge or major research tasks, continuously produce original innovative outcomes recognized by the international academic community for their significant scientific value, and achieve substantial international influence. 3. Attract top innovative talents from around the world, cultivate scientists with outstanding innovation abilities and international perspectives, and reach the level of world-class leading talents. 4. Fully utilize international talent training approaches, further enhance talent cultivation capabilities, and achieve international first-class quality in talent cultivation. 5. Implement internationalized operational mechanisms, talent appointment and evaluation systems, academic evaluations, and support services, and to achieve international first-class levels in laboratory management.
A total of 62 international joint laboratories, including Tsinghua University, have been approved for this project. (Office of Research and Development)
