2025 International Conference on Industry-Education-Research Integration Held at HNUST

Recently, the 2025 International Conference on Industry-Education-Research Integration successfully opened at Hunan University of Science and Technology. Centered on the theme "Intelligent Innovation and Development", the conference aims to gather global expertise to jointly advance the deep integration and pioneering application of digital and intelligent technologies in the construction industry. Renowned scholars and industry leaders from over twenty top universities in the United States, the United Kingdom, and China gathered to engage in in-depth dialogue and exchange on cutting-edge theories, key technologies, and industrial practices in digital and intelligent construction.

In his opening address, Jiang Lizhong, Secretary of the Party Committee of HNUST, highlighted the university's distinctive work and achievements in fields such as "deep sea, deep earth, deep space" and "AI+." He emphasized that digital and intelligent construction represents a critical pathway for advancing high-quality development in the construction sector. He expressed his hope that the conference would serve as a platform for high-level international exchange. He called for collective wisdom to solve challenges and collaborative efforts to pool strengths. He emphasized that such collaboration would drive the construction industry toward construction industry toward intelligent, green, and low-carbon transformation while deepening industry-academia-research-application collaboration and international cooperation.

During the conference, a series of special reports were delivered by leading experts and industry representatives. Speakers included: Professor Ye-Hwa Chen from the Georgia Institute of Technology (USA), Professor Li Liping from Shandong University, Professor Pingbo Tang from Carnegie Mellon University (USA), Professor Lu Xinzheng from Tsinghua University, Professor Xie Xiongyao from Tongji University, Jiang Wei (Regional General Manager of Glodon Technology Co., Ltd.), Professor Sun Li from Shenyang Jianzhu University, Professor Han Qiang from Beijing University of Technology, Professor Yin Zhenyu from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Professor Frédéric Bosché from the University of Edinburgh (UK), Professor Duan Yuanfeng from Zhejiang University, Professor Zhou Yingwu from Shenzhen University, Professor Zhang Jian from Southeast University, and Cui Xian (R&D Director of China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Group Co., Ltd.). The extra space report focused on the practical application of digital and intelligent construction theories and technologies, covering infrastructure fields such as tunnels, bridges, and marine engineering, as well as scenarios including public buildings and urban renewal. They held in-depth discussions on the digital and intelligent development of the industry, covering multiple stages from material R&D and engineering design to construction processes and management. In addition, the conference featured special discussion sessions, providing a platform for in-depth exchange among participants.

This conference was co-hosted by the School Planning and Construction Development Center of the Ministry of Education and the Hunan Provincial Department of Education, undertaken by HNUST, and co-organized by Central South University, the China Digital-Intelligent Green Construction Collaborative Innovation Platform, China Construction Third Engineering Bureau Group Co., Ltd.(CCTEB), and the Hunan Provincial Smart Construction and Prefabricated Passive House Engineering Technology Research Center. As an important part of the International Conference on the Cooperation and Integration of Industry, Education, Research, and Application initiated by the Ministry of Education since 2018, the conference has continued the organizing concept of "cross-border integration and open collaboration", injecting new impetus into promoting the digital transformation of China's construction industry and supporting the implementation of national strategies and the high-quality development of regional economies.

(Translated by LI MingYue and ZHAI Shan)