On March 21st, 2024, the 4th Annual Academic Conference of the China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy (ICARE) took place at the Clean Energy Building of Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST). The theme of the conference was "Carbon Future", with a focus on the dual-carbon target and the hotspots of the times, aiming to find solutions to basic scientific and technological problems in clean and renewable energy. The event was hosted by the ICARE Research Centre and organized by the Graduate Students' Association. The conference was attended by Prof. Luo Xiaobing, the Chinese Dean of ICARE, Dr. Zou Mingqing, the Vice Dean of ICARE, Prof. Hu Song, the Director of ICARE Research Centre, Assoc. Prof. Hu Hongyun, the Chinese Supervisor, Assoc. Prof. Li Song, and over 100 postgraduates from ICARE and the School of Energy and Power Engineering.
The annual academic conference commenced at 9:00 AM with an opening speech by Prof. Luo Xiaobing. In the speech, he expressed his expectations for the development of ICARE and praised the students for actively participating in academic research and communication. He wished for the success of the annual conference.
Afterwards, the European dean of ICARE, Professor Michel FARINE, expressed his warm congratulations on the successful convening of the fourth annual academic conference through the form of a video and expressed his expectations for the annual conference of the academic display and exchange of ideas generated by the collision of ideas and inspiration.
Dr. Zou Mingqing, the Vice Dean of ICARE, awarded guest certificates to Associate Professors Hu Hongyun and Li Song. Afterwards, all participants took a group photo to commemorate the occasion.
Assoc. Prof. Hu Hongyun gave a presentation titled "Exploration of the Application of Molten Salt Heat Storage in New Energy Situation". Firstly, he introduced the current state of molten salt thermal storage. Then, he shared the existing research and prospects of related technologies, which sparked lively discussions among the students and teachers present.
During the break time, students came to the poster area of the conference to browse the academic achievements from different fields and directions and had exchanges and discussions in a strong academic atmosphere.
After the break, Assoc. Prof. Li Song, the Chinese supervisor, gave a presentation on the topic "Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Energy Supply System". During her presentation, she explained the principles and applications of these systems and answered students' questions about aspects such as hydrogen storage, research work, career prospects and more.
In the afternoon, the conference's jury committee, comprising Professors WANG Mingkui, WEN Chang, YU Jie, WU Hsingtzu, LI Song, XU Jun, LI Xuemin, and CAI Shanshan, listened to academic presentations from participating students on five main topics: solar energy, biomass energy, wind energy, hydrogen energy, and energy efficiency. During the event, 30 presenters delivered a 10-minute presentation each in English about their research topics and thesis contents. Following this, they defended their ideas and exchanged their thoughts with the jury. The jury committee asked questions and provided feedback on each student's presentation and thesis, making suggestions for improvement where necessary. This was a great opportunity for participants to gain a better understanding of each research direction.
This annual conference aims to strengthen postgraduate education, provide a platform for academic exchange and interaction among students, enhance the scientific research ability and English reporting level of ICARE students, create a conducive academic atmosphere, and cultivate high-quality talents for the field of new energy. As a result, the 4th Annual Academic Conference of ICARE has successfully come to an end.
