From April 15 to 17, 2021, the 5th Jiangnan Forum on Polymer Materials and the 2nd "Huina Jure" Composite Materials Academic Salon, jointly organized by the School of Chemical and Materials Engineering at Jiangnan University and the Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids of the Ministry of Education, was successfully held in the Academic Lecture Hall B329 of the School of Chemical and Materials Engineering.

Experts and scholars from more than ten universities and research institutions, including the University of Science and Technology of China, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Sun Yat-sen University, Beihang University, Tianjin University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Nankai University, Hangzhou Normal University, Tongji University, Wuhan University, Zhengzhou University, Wuhan Textile University, Soochow University, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Donghua University, as well as the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology and the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, attended the forum and engaged in in-depth academic discussions focusing on the latest research achievements and developmental trends in the field of polymer composite materials.

The opening ceremony was presided over by Qingwei Pan, Party Secretary of the School of Chemical and Materials Engineering. Yan Xu, Vice President of Jiangnan University, attended and delivered a speech. He extended a warm welcome to the distinguished scholars from across the nation and expressed his hope that this academic exchange would serve as a opportunity to broaden the academic horizons and stimulate innovative thinking of faculty members and students through the integration of knowledge and the exchange of ideas, expand new directions for the development of polymer materials, fostering research collaboration with peers in the field, and advance the disciplinary development of Jiangnan University.

Subsequently, Weifu Dong, Dean of the School of Chemical and Materials Engineering, delivered a keynote speech in which he provided a comprehensive introduction to the school's history, disciplinary development, faculty composition, research achievements, and talent cultivation initiatives. Dean Dong also expressed the expectation that, through joint efforts, further contributions could be made to the development of polymer materials at Jiangnan University.

The symposium featured a total of 16 thematic presentations. Professor Qinghua Lu from Shanghai Jiao Tong University initiated the session with a report titled "Applications of Polyimide in the Electronics Field," systematically outlining his team's research progress. This was followed by high-level presentations from renowned experts representing Sun Yat-sen University, Beihang University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Nankai University, the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Tongji University, Wuhan University, Zhengzhou University, the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry (Chinese Academy of Sciences), Soochow University, Northwestern Polytechnical University, and Donghua University. Their reports covered a wide range of topics, including recent advances in high-performance functional polyimides, bio-inspired nanocomposites, multifunctional polymer microneedle arrays and their therapeutic applications in superficial disease treatment, dynamic wrinkle patterns on polymer surfaces, controllable wrinkling and optical encoding/encryption in polymer thin films, multifunctional nanocomposites and tactile sensing applications, interfacial mechanics of graphene van der Waals interfaces, ultrasound-responsive polymer vesicles for bone targeting and angiography, novel chitin-based materials based on KOH/urea aqueous systems, precise customization of nanocrystals based on controlled/"living" polymerization, side-chain crystallization kinetics of poly(stearyl methacrylate), recent advances in stimuli-responsive organic luminescent materials, polymer chiral structures and materials, intrinsically thermally conductive polymers, and stretchable ion-conductive composites.

Finally, Piming Ma, Vice Dean of the School of Chemical and Materials Engineering, delivered the closing remarks. He expressed sincere gratitude to the experts and scholars for their insightful academic presentations. This forum provided a valuable platform for faculty members and students to learn about the cutting-edge research in polymer materials and exchange ideas, offering an important opportunity to broaden perspectives and expand scholarly thinking. The academic atmosphere at the forum was vibrant, with active participation and fruitful discussions among attendees, resulting in successful exchange outcomes.

Moving forward, the School remains committed to organizing such high-level academic exchanges, aiming to further strengthen communication and collaboration with peer institutions in the field of polymer materials, thereby continuously enhancing the overall standing and influence of polymer materials disciplines at Jiangnan University.

Group photo of attending leaders, experts, and scholars.

QingweiPan, Party Secretary of the School of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Jiangnan University, presided over the opening ceremony.YanXu, Vice President of Jiangnan University, delivered the opening address. WeifuDong, Dean of the School of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Jiangnan University, introduced the School.

Academic presentations were delivered by: Researcherg Zhong Zhan (Session Chair), Professor Qinghua Lu, Professor Yi Zhang, Professor Qunfeng Cheng, Professor Wei Feng (Session Chair), Professor Jintao Zhu, Researcher Xuesong Jiang, Professor Xudong Chen, Professor Jiajie Liang, Professor Yongjin Li (Session Chair), Researcher Zhong Zhang, Professor Jianzhong Du, Professor Jie Cai, Professor Xinchang Pang, Professor Dong Wang (Session Chair), Professor Yongfeng Men, Professor Zhenguo Chi, Professor Wei Zhang, Professor Junwe Gui, and Researcher Chao Zhang.

Piming Ma, Vice Dean of the School of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Jiangnan University, delivered the concluding remarks.

The forum