On the afternoon of October 22, the 2024 Workshop on Sustainable Energy and Materials Systems concluded at the Senate Hall, Nazarbayev University. The Senate Hall at NU is a blend of Kazakh traditional culture and modernity. It boasts historical significance and symbolizes Sino-Kazakh friendship as it witnessed the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Bai Shulin, Executive Deputy Director of the Institute of New Structural Materials and Director of the New Structural Materials Technology R&D Center at Peking University Lin-gang International S&T Innovation Center (PKU-IICSH) attended the event alongside Wang Wenzhong, Ph.D. in Materials Science and Executive Director of the New Structural Materials Technology R&D Center at PKU-IICSH to join other guests in discussing cutting-edge topics in sustainable energy and materials systems and exploring how scientific research can better serve industry. Representatives from China State Construction Bridge Corp., Ltd. (CSCEC) and China Energy Engineering Group Co., Ltd (Energy China) were also invited to participate in the workshop.

The Workshop was organized by Professors Annie Ng and Yanwei Wang from the School of Engineering and Digital Sciences. Zhumabay Bakenov, Vice Provost for Industry Engagement of the Office of the Provost, NU, and Director of Center for Energy and Advanced Materials Science of National Laboratory Astana, delivered the welcoming remark. Bai Shulin, a keynote speaker, presented Strategy on Design and Manufacture of Polymer Composites with High Thermal Conductivity.

Ji Chenglong, Executive Manager of the CSCEC’s Astana Light Rail Transit in Kazakhstan Project, delivered a report on major construction projects, announcing that the main structure of the Astana Light Rail Transit project, undertaken by CSCEC, was nearing completion. Once completed, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan will open the Light Rail Transit in person. This project significantly influenced Chinese companies’ role in international cooperation in Kazakhstan. Xu Yihao, the CSCEC representative in Kazakhstan, gave a detailed overview of CSCEC’s development and advantages in new energy, new materials, and new infrastructure, as well as the corporation's plans for large-scale infrastructure and renewable energy projects in Kazakhstan. Professor Zhang Dichuan from the School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, NU, elaborated on his cutting-edge research on composites for multifunctional seismic retrofitting, a field with promising market potential. Wang Wenzhong reported on the innovations and applications of heat-resistant basalt fiber reinforced composites.

In his concluding remarks, Provost Adesida, a member of U.S. National Academy of Engineering, expressed gratitude to all the experts and industry representatives. He recalled his visits to China and emphasized that Nazarbayev University and Peking University will collaborate closer in the future as fellow members of Asian Universities Alliance.

Following the workshop, Adesida and Annie Ng invited Bai Shulin and his colleagues to tour the laboratories and discuss future cooperation. A memorandum of intent was signed, covering talent exchanges, project collaborations, and co-establishing innovation centers. Bai Shulin extended a warm invitation to Adesida and other professors to visit PKU-IICSH.

Looking ahead, the New Structural Materials Technology R&D Center at PKU-IICSH will cooperate closely with Nazarbayev University and other participating organizations on scientific innovation and talent exchange, aiming to advance the challenging mission of promoting sustainable development in energy and materials. This workshop shared knowledge and contributed to the collaboration between universities and Chinese enterprises overseas, uniting diverse perspectives to tackle global economic challenges and achieve mutual success.