On the morning of June 11, the opening ceremony of the 2025 Shanghai New Era International Summer School on Green Development - Thermal Functional Materials hosted by the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission and organized by Shanghai Polytechnic University, was held in Room 210 of Building 28 at the School of Energy and Materials. Ding Bin, Vice President of Shanghai Polytechnic University; Yao Li, Director of the International Exchange Office and Director of the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs Office of Shanghai Polytechnic University ; Sun Yan, Director of the Office of Foreign Students Affairs and Dean of the School of International Education; Chen Yong, Secretary of the Party Committee of the School of Energy and Materials; Yuan Yuan Wang, Dean of the School of Energy and Materials; as well as overseas students and volunteer representatives attended the ceremony. Professor Lei Hui, International Cooperation Secretary of the School of Energy and Materials, presided over the opening ceremony.
Professor Ding Bin, Vice President of Shanghai Polytechnic University, delivered a warm welcome speech on behalf of the university. He emphasized that the summer school serves as a vital platform for international educational collaboration, where participants will engage in academic seminars, practical investigations, and cultural exchanges over the next three weeks to explore cutting-edge developments in the field of thermal functional materials. Against the backdrop of green development, this program focuses on thermal functional materials and brings together a distinguished faculty team, including senior academicians, professors, and young scholars, to provide students with a comprehensive learning experience that integrates theory and practice. Ding encouraged the students to seize this valuable opportunity for professional growth and contribute to sustainable development, urging them to use the summer school as a starting point to gain expertise while discovering “China’s stories” in Shanghai.
Yao Li and Wang Yuanyuan, representing the university’s administrative departments and the School of Energy and Materials respectively, expressed their hopes that the study and practical experiences in Shanghai would help students systematically grasp core knowledge and technological trends in the field of new energy materials. Tommaso Robbiano, a student from the University of Genoa, Italy, spoke on behalf of the students, pledging to embrace cultural diversity and acquire advanced skills in thermal functional materials research.
During the ceremony, university leaders presented the international students with welcome gifts, including school-branded postcards, notebooks, summer school T-shirts, and study guides.
Following the opening ceremony, the School of Energy and Materials organized interactive activities, including a “Lacquer Fan Experience” and an “ Hanfu Cultural Experience.” International students learned about the intricate process of lacquer production, from harvesting to application, and created unique fan designs using the floating lacquer technique, where pigments and water combined to form distinctive patterns, embodying the philosophy of “half craftsmanship, half nature.” Additionally, the Hanfu experience allowed students to dress in traditional Chinese attire and appreciate the charm of Chinese culture.
The “New Era International Summer School” is a flagship project for international educational cooperation and exchange initiated by the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission. It integrates the former “Shanghai Summer School” and the “Belt and Road” initiatives, aiming to build a cross-cultural platform for education, technology, and humanities exchange while attracting international students to experience China and study in Shanghai. The School of Energy and Materials, with its research focus on thermal functional materials, has designed this green development-themed program, attracting 22 students from over 10 countries, including Spain, Italy, and the United States. The curriculum covers cutting-edge topics such as thermal functional materials and energy-saving technologies, featuring lectures by renowned experts, corporate visits, and cultural exploration to showcase the school’s strengths in this field.