Published and edited by: Media Convergence Center
WUST News — On October 20, the Workshop for International Research Laboratory of Refractories and Metallurgy–Hubei Province Innovation and Intelligence Introduction Base for Advanced Refractories was held at Wuhan University of Science and Technology (WUST). The event brought together leading experts and scholars in the field of refractory materials from six countries, including Russia, Italy, and Austria, to address challenges in high-temperature industries. Attendees included Lei Fengyun, former Deputy Director of the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs and expert of the Science and Technology Diplomacy Expert Committee of the China Association for International Science and Technology Cooperation, and Bao Shenxu, Member of the Standing Committee of the WUST Party Committee. The meeting was chaired by Jin Shengli, Deputy Director of the State Key Laboratory of Advanced Refractories (Wuhan). 
On behalf of WUST, Bao Shenxu delivered a welcome speech. He highlighted that over the past sixty years, WUST has established a comprehensive research system in the field of refractory materials, supported by national platforms such as the State Key Laboratory of Advanced Refractories. In the context of the global steel industry's transition towards carbon neutrality, WUST is accelerating innovation, intelligence introduction, and international joint research to actively integrate into the global innovation network. He expressed hope that this workshop would serve as a platform to establish an international innovation consortium for refractory materials, promote exploration in emerging and interdisciplinary fields, cultivate top-tier talent with an international perspective, and achieve more original results with international influence.
Lei Fengyun pointed out that China's "15th Five-Year Plan" will actively promote international cooperation, leveraging sci-tech innovation to integrate into the global innovation network and build a shared future for humanity. He noted that China's favorable political environment and harmonious, win-win international relations provide valuable stability and certainty for academic exchanges. He looks forward to this international symposium building bridges of friendship, integrating global wisdom, and deepening mutual learning among civilizations.
During the exchange session, experts from various countries engaged in in-depth discussions on frontier fields of refractory materials. Dr. Brunner from the Materials Center Leoben in Austria, who has been collaborating with the WUST since 2023, highly praised the preliminary outcomes of State Key Laboratory of Advanced Refractories (Wuhan). Dr. Ewais from the Central Metallurgical Research and Development Institute in Egypt stressed the importance of aligning scientific research with industrial needs. Dr. Colla from the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, Italy, and Dr. Andreev, Global R&D Manager at the Vesuvius Technical Centre in Belgium, expressed strong interest in the design of new high-temperature materials and industrial data collection, indicating desire for further collaboration.
Li Yawei, Director of the State Key Laboratory of Advanced Refractories (Wuhan), noted that the workshop pooled global expertise, facilitated dialogue on shared scientific missions and challenges, broadened perspectives, and reached consensus. The discussions provided new momentum for the laboratory's efforts to build a world-class sci-tech innovation hub.
At the meeting, the International Research Laboratory of Refractories and Metallurgy appointed Professor Vallentina Colla from the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa, Italy, Professor Roadrunner from the Materials Center Leoben in Austria, Professor Emad Mohamed M. Ewais from the Central Metallurgical Research and Development Institute in Egypt, and Dr. Kirill Andreev, Global R&D Manager at the Vesuvius Technical Centre in Belgium as visiting professors, and appointed Lei Fengyun as senior advisor.
The event was attended by representatives from the Office of Research and Development, Office of Human Resources, Office of International Relations, Faculty of Materials, School of Mechanical Engineering, School of International Education, and the State Key Laboratory of Advanced Refractories attended the meeting.
