The 11th National Sea Ice Academic Conference & 3rd Polar Equipment Technology Innovation Forum was recently convened at Harbin Engineering University.

This conference was jointly organized by the Sea Ice Professional Committee of Chinese Society for Oceanography and Harbin Engineering University. Harbin Engineering University hosted the conference, in collaboration with the MOST (Ministry of Science and Technology) Joint Laboratory of Polar Technology and Equipment, the MIIT (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology) Key Laboratory of Polar Equipment Technology, International Innovation and Cooperation in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (ICNAME), the Collaborative Innovation Center for Polar Technology and Equipment in Heilongjiang Province, and the Research and Innovation Center at Dalian University of Technology.

The conference, themed “Polar Environment, Technology, and Equipment”, brought together representatives from 68 universities and institutes and nearly 200 experts, scholars, and graduate students in the fields of sea ice and polar research. The participants engaged in academic discussions and shared research outcomes related to scientific and engineering issues in sea ice properties, polar environment, polar equipment and technology, and polar development.

14 distinguished experts in the fields of sea ice and polar equipment technology were invited to deliver keynote presentations at the conference.

The conference featured 7 parallel sessions with a total of 135 presentations, including 55 invited talks.

In order to enhance the enthusiasm, proactivity, and creativity of the young research community in academic research activities, the Academic Committee selected 12 outstanding student papers and 26 excellent reports from young scholars. Additionally, 33 young scholars were appointed as members of the Youth Committee of the Sea Ice Professional Committee of Chinese Society for Oceanography.

Chen Zhi, deputy director of the National Oceanic Environmental Forecasting Center, chaired the opening ceremony of the conference and presented the results of China’s 13th Arctic Scientific Expedition.

The conference chair, Han Duanfeng, vice president of Harbin Engineering University, and Gao Jiandong, deputy secretary-general of the China Oceanic Society, delivered welcome speeches.

Academician Li Jiabiao from the Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, delivered the first keynote presentation at the conference.

Professor Ji Shunying from Dalian University of Technology chaired the closing ceremony. Chen Zhi, deputy director of the National Oceanic Environmental Forecasting Center, Professor Xue Yanzhuo from Harbin Engineering University, and Professor Su Jie from Ocean University of China served as award presenters.

The conference received strong support from over 10 academic journals, including Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, Chinese Journal of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Journal of Harbin Engineering University, Ship Building of China, Journal of Hydrodynamics, Acta Oceanologica Sinica, Chinese Journal of Ship Research, and others. The 12th National Sea Ice Academic Conference is scheduled to be held in 2025 in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, and will be organized by China Ship Scientific Research Center.