Workshop on Advanced Materials 2022 held with Dalian University of Technology

Tokyo Tech and Dalian University of Technology (DUT) in China organized the Joint Workshop on Advanced Materials 2022 online on December 3.

This workshop functions as the annual conference between the two universities, which enjoy a distinctive institutional-level agreement and exchange relationship, including the Bachelor Degree Transfer System from Specified Overseas Partner Universities. In 2022, the event was hosted by DUT, with approximately 70 participants attending both at the main venue in Dalian and online.

To open the workshop, Professor Mingliang Huang, dean of the School of Materials Science and Engineering at DUT, began by introducing the history of exchange between the two universities, the Japanese language course established at DUT, and the prominent alumni associated with both universities. Next, Professor Hidetoshi Sekiguchi, dean of the School of Materials and Chemical Technology at Tokyo Tech, gave an introduction of the long history of exchanges, particularly involving metal-related laboratories, and declared the workshop open with wishes for further development of exchange activities in the future.

The morning session started with a presentation by Associate Professor Satoru Kobayashi of Tokyo Tech's School of Materials and Chemical Technology on the "Effects of Fe₂Hf Fine Precipitate Particles on Creep Strength in High Cr Ferritic Steels." This was followed by other presentations focusing on metallic materials and a lively discussion.

The afternoon session opened with the Ceremony of Outstanding Contribution Award, during which DUT bestowed the title of Outstanding Teacher on Professor Masahiro Susa and Professor Yoshio Nakamura of Tokyo Tech for their outstanding contributions to the exchange between the two materials-related Schools. Both professors were instrumental in initiating and running the joint bachelor-level program of the two Schools, as well as accepting many students from DUT into their laboratories and granting them degrees. Susa and Nakamura were also involved in the launch of the Bachelor Degree Transfer System from Specified Overseas Partner Universities between the two universities. Many undergraduate students from DUT are currently studying abroad at Tokyo Tech under this system. These achievements of the professors were highlighted at the award ceremony, which culminated in the presentation of the Outstanding Teacher Certificate.

Like the morning session, the afternoon session also featured presentations focusing on metallic materials, starting with "Atomic to Nano Scale Structuring of Heterogenous Materials as Catalytic Electrodes in Biosensors" by Associate Professor Tso-Fu Mark Chang of the Institute of Innovative Research at Tokyo Tech. Active discussions also followed the afternoon presentations.

In closing, Professor Mingkai Lei of DUT gave a powerful speech, which ended on a high note. "Let us definitely realize next year's workshop face to face," Lei concluded.