Published by: Yang Lu Edited by: Chen Machuan

WUST News (Correspondent: Yang Lu) On June 13, the Frontier Forum on Materials and Chemistry and the Rare Metals & Sister Journals Campus Event (Wuhan Station) were held in the Roadshow Hall of the Qingshan Campus Library at the Wuhan University of Science and Technology (WUST). President Ni Hongwei attended the event, and Vice President Dong Lijie presided over the opening ceremony.

The forum brought together over 70 experts, scholars, young researchers, and graduate students from Hong Kong, Beijing, Nanjing, Jinan, Xi'an, and Wuhan. The event focused on the latest research advancements and trends in the fields of materials and chemistry, sharing cutting-edge achievements and promoting academic cooperation.

In his speech, Ni Hongwei warmly welcomed the attendees and outlined WUST's exploratory practices in intrinsic development, interdisciplinary innovation, and academic excellence. He emphasized the phased progress made in establishing a 'full-chain innovation system' within the fields of materials, metallurgy, and chemistry, which is driven by the development of top-tier disciplines. He expressed hope that participants would seize this opportunity to engage in in-depth exchanges, spark more innovative ideas, and collaborate to advance the fields of materials and chemistry.

The Conference Chair and Deputy Editor of Rare Metals, Professor Hou Yanglong, Dean of the School of Materials at Sun Yat-sen University, discussed the journal's mission and vision, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary integration between materials science and chemistry. He expressed hope that the event would foster greater interaction and collaboration between academia and the journal, enhance the dissemination and impact of scientific research, and offer a more extensive platform for young scholars.

Dr. Ma Wen, Deputy General Manager of Youke Publishing (Beijing) Co., Ltd., introduced the journal and hosted the appointment ceremony for the young editorial board members.

Following the opening ceremony, invited reports were presented by experts and scholars from Nanjing University, Sun Yat-sen University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan University, Central South University, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, City University of Hong Kong, Beihang University, Wuhan University of Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Hubei University, and Qilu University of Technology.

Meanwhile, in the lecture hall on the second floor of the Qingshan Campus Library, 15 doctoral candidates and 9 master's students from universities in Wuhan and Henan University presented flash reports on topics including energy materials, biomaterials, catalysis, and computational simulation. Twenty-three young experts from Wuhan served as judges; following evaluation, 12 students received  first, second, third, and excellence prizes.

Co-hosted by the School of Metallurgy and Energy and Youke Publishing, the forum, focused on "Functional Materials Chemistry of Multidisciplinary Intersections." It explored frontier scientific issues and development trends in chemistry, materials, metallurgy, energy, environment, biomedicine, and interdisciplinary fields. By establishing an open platform, the event gathered renowned experts and scholars from related fields in China to foster interdisciplinary integration and seek innovative solutions. Additionally, the innovative "Main Forum + Graduate Flash Reports" format facilitated close exchanges between young students and expert professors, offering an effective model for new talent cultivation and resource integration.

Attendees included leaders from relevant university departments, college heads, and faculty and student representatives.