International conference on heterostructured materials, an emerging class of materials

The First International Conference on Heterostructured Materials (HSM I) was held from 12 to 15 July 2022. This hybrid event was hosted by Hong Kong Institute for  Advanced Study (HKIAS) and co-organized by Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, China. The 4-day conference was well-attended by scholars and scientists from worldwide. 

Heterostructured Materials (HS materials) represent an emerging class of materials that are expected to become a major research field for the materials, mechanics, physics and computer simulation communities in the coming years. Over 70 prominent scientists and pioneers in this field across the globe covered 11 session themes on HSM’s fundamental science, technology and applications at the event. 

At the first-of-its-kind international conference held in Hong Kong, President Way Kuo said in his recorded opening address that the CityU aspires to become a leading global university, excelling in research and professional education. It is important to disseminate these research results to the academic community. HSM I provided a platform for sharing new ideas and establishing future research directions. 

In addition, Professor Yuntian Zhu, a key member of the conference International  Organizing Committee and Chair Professor at the Department of Materials Science and  Engineering (MSE) at CityU, extended a warm welcome to all of the participants and expressed sincere gratitude to the plenary, keynote and invited speakers. He said that the HSM I aim to offer researchers an opportunity to explore potential HS materials applications and multidisciplinary collaborations.  

The first day of the HSM I featured a plenary talk by Professor Huajian Gao, Chair  Professor of the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from the Nanyang  Technological University in Singapore, a member of the National Academy of Science of the USA. In his online talk, he analyzed the mechanical behavior of HS materials and discussed the recent development of “Engineer metals with internal interfaces for enhanced mechanical performance”. 

Another plenary speaker, a member of the National Academy of Engineering of the  USA, Professor David Srolovitz, Dean of the Mechanical Engineering Department from the University of Hong Kong, who went through a journey with the audience in the microstructural mechanism of HS materials. He delivered a talk titled “Predictive  Microstructure Evolution”. 

Keynote speakers of the HSM I included Professor Irene J. Beyerlein, Professor of  Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Department of the University of  California, Santa Barbara in the USA; Professor Yuri Estrin, Honorary Professorial Fellow  in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering from the Monash University in  Australia; Professor Yang Ren, Chair Professor of Department of Physics in CityU, and Professor Jacob C. Huang, Executive Director of CityU’s HKIAS and Chair Professor of  CityU’s MSE, among other world-leading invited speakers.

Other eminent speakers were distinguished professors from universities and laboratories in  Asia, Australia, the United States, Europe, China and Hong Kong. Discussion topics included mechanical behaviour, design, trends, multifunctional, simulation of heterostructured materials and high/medium entropy alloys. 

One of the conference’s highlights was a banquet held in honour of Professor Chain Tsuan  Liu. President Way Kuo presented Professor Liu with the Lifetime Contribution  Award in recognition of his contribution to materials science. Professor Jacob C. Huang remarked at the banquet that Professor Liu is a world leader in intermetallics and high entropy alloys. Moreover, the significant breakthrough made by Professor Liu has long-standing impact on the field and CityU’s community. 

Currently, Professor Liu is CityU’s University Distinguished Professor and Senior Fellow of the HKIAS. In addition, Professor Liu is a member of the National Academy of Engineering,  USA, a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and an academician of  Academia Sinica Taiwan. He has received numerous notable awards, including the  Lawrence Award, established by the US president. 

International Conference on Heterostructured Materials is a biannual event. The Second  HSM will be held in Chongqing, China, in 2024. 

More information about HSM I, please click here. 

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About Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study (HKIAS) 

The Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study (HKIAS), which was launched on 22  November 2015, aspires to be an international centre of excellence for the advancement of technology and innovation by bringing together an interdisciplinary team of world-renowned scholars and researchers, including Nobel laureates and academicians, to contribute to the solutions of pressing real-world problems. Conferences, symposiums, workshops, and lectures will be organized to facilitate the exchange of ideas among academic communities locally, regionally and internationally. 

For upcoming lectures, please click here. 

Photo Captioned: 

Photo 1:  

Members of the Organizing Committee (2nd from the right), Professor Jacob C. Huang,  Professor Yuntain Zhu and Professor David Srolovitz, were joined by conference speakers  at the opening ceremony. 

Photo 2: 

President Way Kuo 

Photo 3: 

Professor Yuntian Zhu

Photo 4: 

Professor Huajian Gao delivered an online plenary talk 

Photo 5: 

Professor David Srolovitz featured a plenary talk in person 

Photo 6: 

President Way Kuo presented Professor Liu with the Lifetime Contribution Award