ZHENJIANG, China – From October 31 to November 2, 2025, the 5th Academic Exchange Seminar on Youth (Category C) and Regional Scientific Fund Concluding Projects in Hydraulic Science, organized by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), was successfully convened in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province. Centered on the theme “Innovation and Development of Basic Scientific Research in Hydraulic Science and Engineering,” the conference aimed to advance fundamental research in the discipline and foster the growth and collaboration of young scholars.

The event was attended by distinguished guests including Zhong Denghua and Tang Hongwu, Academicians of the Chinese Engineering Academy. More than 200 invited experts, conference representatives, and NSFC hydraulic science staff from 80 universities and research institutes—including Tsinghua University, Peking University, Wuhan University, Hohai University, China Agricultural University, South China University of Technology, Jiangsu University, and the Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute—participated in the seminar. Additionally, project leaders of the newly approved 2025 Youth (Category C) and Regional Scientific Fund projects attended the meeting online.

Li Hongbo, Secretary of the CPC Jiangsu University Committee, delivered a welcome address introducing the university’s history, general profile, and the distinct features of its Fluid Machinery and Engineering discipline. He also highlighted the scientific and technological innovations achieved by the National Research Center of Pumps.

During the keynote session, four experts delivered thematic reports:

1)Academician Zhong Denghua (China Agricultural University) spoke on “The Smart Era and the Construction and Operation of Hydraulic Engineering.”

2)Academician Tang Hongwu (South China University of Technology) presented “New Thinking on Hydrodynamic Reconstruction and System Governance within the Water Network Framework.”

3)Professor Wang Fujun (China Agricultural University) discussed “Mechanisms and Prediction Methods for Sediment-Cavitation Coupled Erosion in Hydraulic Machinery.”

4)Professor Wang Rui (Tsinghua University) presented “High-Performance Seismic Simulation in Geotechnical Engineering and Its Application in Major Hydropower Projects.”

Drawing from their own research experiences, the speakers offered specific advice and encouragement regarding research directions and career paths for young scholars. The NSFC Hydraulic Science Division presented a “Report on Project Funding and Discipline Development in Hydraulic Science,” systematically outlining the positioning of the Youth (Category C) and Regional funds within the talent development matrix, as well as recent application and funding trends. The report emphasized the seminar’s role as a platform for exchanging academic results and innovative ideas, aiming to enhance creative thinking and further leverage the Science Fund to guide and support the growth of young talent.

The conference featured four sub-venues focusing on: Engineering Hydrology and Water Resources Utilization; Agricultural and Rural Hydraulics; Hydraulics and River Dynamics; Hydraulic Machinery and Systems; and Hydraulic Geotechnical and Structural Engineering. Forty-eight project leaders of concluding Youth (Category C) projects shared their academic achievements, innovative ideas, and insights gained during their research, engaging in in-depth discussions with attendees.

The seminar’s discussion session was chaired by Liu Tingxi, former Vice President of Inner Mongolia Agricultural University. Representatives from the four sub-venues—Zhao Jianshi (Tsinghua University), Shi Liangsheng (Wuhan University), Li Dongfeng (Peking University), and Wang Rui (Tsinghua University)—reported on their respective group discussions. They noted that under NSFC funding, young scholars have produced a series of excellent research results that met expected goals with outstanding effectiveness. During the Q&A session, young scholars actively sought advice on topics such as topic selection, application codes, interdisciplinary research, team building, and engineering applications. Experts provided detailed guidance, encouraging young scholars to focus on the frontiers of hydraulic science, broaden their horizons, strengthen cooperation, and contribute to major national engineering projects to drive high-quality development in the discipline.

During the conference, delegates toured the laboratories of the National Research Center of Pumps at Jiangsu University.

The seminar was hosted by the Department of Engineering and Materials Sciences of the NSFC and organized by Jiangsu University. Vice Presidents Li Hong and Wang Jingquan chaired the keynote reports and the closing ceremony, respectively. Professor Zhang Desheng, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Research Center of Fluid Machinery Engineering and Technology and Deputy Director of the National Research Center of Pumps, presided over the opening ceremony.