More than 100 delegates from across 50 institutions in the UK and China gathered at the University of Birmingham from 7th to 9th August to showcase their recent developments in addressing some of the toughest challenges of climate change through the use of clean energy utilisation and energy storage.
Hosted by the University’s Centre for Energy Storage, the conference saw delegates exchange knowledge, enhance existing collaborative relationships and begin developing long-term collaborations between the two countries.
The three-day conference was chaired by Professor Yimin Xuan, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Professor Haisheng Chen, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics and Professor Yulong Ding, University of Birmingham.
Reflecting on the congress, Professor Yulong Ding said, “The UK and China face similar and colossal challenges in achieving net-zero (UK) or nearly net-zero (China) carbon emission target over a 30-year period.”
“Clean energy utilisation and energy storage – two key themes of the conference – clearly have a key role to play. We are pleased to initiate the conference series and are extremely encouraged that the conference series is sustained.”
Source: University of Birmingham
The event was supported by the British Council through the Newton funds, National Natural Science Foundation of China, UK Royal Society through an advanced Newton Fellowship, International Energy Storage Alliance, UK-China Consortium on Engineering Education and Research (UCCEER), and Birmingham Centre for Energy Storage.
Amongst the 52 presentations delivered over the course of the three days, distinguished guest speakers included: Professor John Loughhead Freng, Chief Scientific Adviser to Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy; Sir Chris Llewellyn Smith FRS, University of Oxford; Professor Andy Schofield, Pro Vice Chancellor, University of Birmingham; and Dr Jun Ji, National Natural Science Foundation of China.
A key emphasis of this conference was to provide a platform for early career researchers from both China and the UK to share and promote their research whilst establishing new links between both countries.
At the end of the conference, it was announced that the third UK-China symposium on clean energy utilisation and energy storage will be held in Beijing in 2020.