The 4th IAHR-YPN Doctoral Forum in China was successfully held at Dalian University of Technology (DUT) from September 26 to 28, 2025. The forum was co-organized by the School of Infrastructure Engineering and the State Key Laboratory of Coastal and Offshore Engineering of DUT.

The event brought together 147 outstanding young scholars from 29 domestic institutions, including Tsinghua University, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute, Tianjin University, Hohai University, Wuhan University, Inner Mongolia University, China Agricultural University, and Xi’an University of Technology, as well as from St. Petersburg Polytechnic University in Russia.

Expert Meetings

An expert meeting was held on September 26 in the conference room of the Marine Engineering Institute at DUT. The meeting finalized the forum’s agenda and evaluation criteria. A working meeting of IAHR-YPN Chairs was convened, where representatives from all the 11 Young Professionals Networks in China except the CTGU YPN reported on their annual activities. Preparatory work for the 5th Forum, to be held at Wuhan University during the World Water Day in 2026, was also introduced.

Opening Ceremony

At the opening ceremony chaired by Professor Wang Qingkai, Deputy Dean of the university's School of Infrastructure Engineering Prof. Li Dongsheng delivered a welcome address, emphasizing that the School, grounded in national strategy and disciplinary frontiers, consistently places “gathering talents and putting them to good use” at its core. He noted that the School strives for major breakthroughs in key research areas while enhancing the discipline’s overall strength and influence.

Mr. Derek Cai, IAHR Global Secretariat Beijing Office Manager and Deputy Secretary-General of the IAHR China Chapter, stated that the Forum has become a highly influential platform in the water sector in China. He encouraged the young professionals to make good use of the platform and resources IAHR provides for broadening their acadeic horizons and building their research capability.

Invited Lectures

The Forum featured three distinguished invited speakers from different fields — Professor Ning Dezhi, Professor Liu Yakun, and Dr. Li Yingchi — who delivered excellent keynote presentations on their respective cutting-edge research topics, sharing findings of significant theoretical and practical value.

Professor Ning Dezhi presented “High-Efficiency Wave Energy Capture Systems and Integrated Applications.” He systematically analyzed the latest advancements in wave energy conversion technology and elaborated on his team’s breakthroughs in designing high-efficiency capture systems and integrated applications. His report also showcased the core capabilities, research layout, and future plans of the State Key Laboratory of Coastal and Offshore Engineering in serving national strategies.

Professor Liu Yakun delivered a lecture titled “Research on Hydraulic Characteristics and Digital Twin Development for Side Inlet/Outlet Structures of Pumped Storage Power Stations.” She explained key hydraulic issues in side inlet/outlet structures – critical components of pumped storage power stations – and presented her team’s innovative work on digital twin systems to support intelligent operation, maintenance, and management throughout the project lifecycle.

Dr. Li Yingchi gave a talk on “Multi-Scale Eco-Hydrological Scientific Monitoring Technology Solutions.” Drawing on engineering practice, he outlined an advanced eco-hydrological monitoring system integrating modern sensing, remote sensing, and IoT technologies, providing a solid data foundation for scientific water management, ecological protection, and climate change response.

Parallel Sessions

Six parallel sessions were held under the core theme of “Water.” These sessions promoted in-depth discussion on the hydrological cycle and water security, advanced understanding of dynamic river-lake-ocean processes and disaster prevention/mitigation, showcased innovations in hydraulic structures, geotechnical engineering, and smart municipal systems, and inspired strategic reflection on human-water harmony, watershed development, and climate adaptation.

Closing Ceremony

The Closing Ceremony, chaired by Professor Chen Xiaoqiang, took place on September 28, 2025, in the auditorium of the DUT Student Activity Center. Awards were presented to the outstanding faculty and students.

During the closing session, Dr. Xu Runxin from Shanghai Jiao Tong University introduced the upcoming 28th IAHR International Symposium on Ice, to be held in June 2026 in Shanghai, and Professor Bai Long from Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology introduced the 13th National Conference on Ice Engineering, scheduled for July 2026. Ms. Zhao Duoduo, chair of the IAHR Wuhan University YPN, presented plans for the 5th IAHR-YPN Doctoral Forum.

Ms. Liu Yuntong from DUT introduced the School's talent recruitment policies, followed by closing remarks from Professor Li Zhijun, a prestigious professor of DUT who organized the 21st IAHR International Symposium on Ice in Dalian in 2012, and Ms. Sally Feng, IAHR Membership Officer.

Following the ceremony, participants visited the DUT History Museum and the State Key Laboratory of Coastal and Offshore Engineering. The visit, seamlessly integrating historical reflection with a glimpse into cutting-edge research, provided a meaningful and inspiring conclusion to the event.

Conclusion

The 4th IAHR-YPN Doctoral Forum in China fully demonstrated the academic community’s active exploration and remarkable achievements in both theoretical research and practical application. The insights gained and consensus built among participants will help translate academic innovation into real-world impact — contributing collective wisdom and strength toward building a safe, green, and smart water future.

The first edition of the IAHR-YPN Doctoral Forum in China was organized by Tianjin University in 2022 when COVID-19 pandemic was still raging across the world. The second edition was organized by Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute in 2023, followed by the third edition by Tsinghua University in Beijing in 2024 and this year in Dalian. The next edition will be in Wuhan University during the World Water Day in 2026.