The 6th Academic Annual Conference of ICARE opened on March 27, 2026, in the S311 Lecture Hall of the Clean Energy Building. Attendees included Dr. Zou Mingqing, Vice Dean of ICARE; Prof. Hu Song, Director of the ICARE Research Office; Associate Professors Chen Chao and Jin Kaiyuan; and nearly 100 postgraduate students.
Prof. Michel FARINE, European Dean of ICARE, delivered a video speech, congratulating the conference and highlighting energy’s central role in economic development and technological progress. He stressed the importance of China-EU cooperation in clean energy, especially in research, talent development, and international collaboration, and expressed hopes for enhanced exchanges and student innovation.
Dr. Zou Mingqing reviewed ICARE’s achievements in academic research, talent training, and international cooperation, emphasizing the conference’s role in broadening student horizons and advancing research capabilities. He encouraged students to maintain curiosity, embrace both success and failure, and strive for excellence.
Dr. Zou presented Certificates of Appreciation to guest speakers Chen Chao and Jin Kaiyuan.
Associate Professor Chen Chao delivered a report on “Research Progress and Future Outlook of New Thin-Film Solar Cells,” discussing recent developments in material design, performance, and stability optimization for perovskite and SnSb-based solar cells.
Associate Professor Jin Kaiyuan presented on “Energy Storage Science and Engineering—New Situation, New Major, New Direction,” focusing on global energy storage trends, discipline evolution, and emerging technologies, especially thermal energy storage.
Conference participants visited the poster exhibition and engaged in extensive academic discussions covering technical approaches, research methodologies, and application prospects.
After rigorous selection, over 30 outstanding papers entered the final defense, spanning energy storage, energy efficiency, biomass energy, wind energy, solar energy, and hydrogen energy. Expert judges included Fan Aiwu, Li Song, Li Xiaoshan, Xu Kai, Yu Jie, Ma Jinchen, Chen Yingquan, and Liu Jing.
Students presented their research in English and answered expert questions about experimental design, modeling, data analysis, and engineering applications. Experts provided detailed feedback on innovation, rigor, feasibility, and application potential.
As ICARE’s flagship academic activity, the conference supports talent development and academic exchange, enhancing engagement and communication skills, and contributing to a vibrant academic ecosystem. ICARE will continue fostering international collaboration and innovation in clean energy.
