On November 15, ZJU Ocean College, the Ocean Research Institute of Zhejiang University, and the Polar Research Institute of China (PRIC) jointly held a Polar Technology Academic Symposium in Shanghai. Fengzhong QU, Executive Vice Dean of ZJU Ocean College and Executive Vice Dean of the Ocean Research Institute, Shunlin LIU, Director of PRIC, and Beichen Zhang, Deputy Director of PRIC, attended the meeting. The symposium was chaired by Jinhui WANG, Deputy Director of PRIC.

Shunlin LIU fully recognized Zhejiang University’s strong foundation and outstanding academic strength in polar research. He noted that polar science is closely related to China’s long-term development and strategic planning and represents an important field demonstrating national scientific and technological strength. He expressed hope that the symposium would serve as an opportunity for both sides to strengthen consensus and collaboration, jointly plan a number of major, leading, and demonstrative scientific projects in response to national polar strategic needs, and promote new breakthroughs in polar scientific research and technological innovation to support the high-quality development of China’s polar endeavors.

Fengzhong QU systematically reviewed the decade-long collaboration between Zhejiang University and PRIC, which has progressed from initial groundwork to joint platform development and now to deeper expansion. The cooperation has achieved solid progress in platform co-construction and institutional innovation, key technology and equipment development, polar expeditions and data accumulation, as well as integration of science and education and high-level academic exchanges, forming a long-term and stable partnership. He stated that Zhejiang University regards polar science and technology as a strategic pillar of marine disciplines and looks forward to further deepening cooperation with PRIC through regular exchange mechanisms, joint appointments, collaborative applications for major scientific awards, and jointly undertaking national major science and technology tasks to build a new highland for polar technological innovation.

During the symposium, leading researchers from both sides held in-depth discussions on the strategic positioning, priority directions, and key tasks for the next stage of polar technology development. A number of forward-looking, strategic, and critical major research project proposals were identified. Participants agreed that leveraging Zhejiang University’s interdisciplinary strengths together with PRIC’s platform support will help integrate high-quality resources and provide a stronger foundation for developing polar science and technology innovation plans and serving China’s overall polar strategy.

(Written by Jingyu QI / Photos by Yang ZHANG)