From May 17-19, 2024, the 2024 Seminar on Frontiers in Soft Matter Mechanics was successfully held in Meizhou City, Guangdong Province. The conference was organized by the Chinese Society of Mechanics and co-hosted by the Soft Matter Mechanics Working Group of the Chinese Society of Mechanics and South China University of Technology. Professors Hai-Bao Lü from Harbin Institute of Technology and Liqun Tang from South China University of Technology served as the chairpersons of the conference. More than 70 representatives from over 30 universities and research institutions nationwide, including Peking University, Tsinghua University, Zhejiang University, Institute of Mechanics CAS, and South China University of Technology, attended the conference. The teams from the School of Civil and Transportation Engineering and the Institute of Frontier Soft Materials at our university were responsible for the preparation and organization of the conference. The event also received support from the State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Building and Urban Science.

The opening ceremony was chaired by Professor Liqun Tang of South China University of Technology. Professor Hai-Bao Lü, leader of the Soft Matter Mechanics Working Group, delivered a welcome speech on behalf of the working group. He introduced the development, future, and goals of the Soft Matter Mechanics Group to the experts and scholars present. Professor Shaoxing Qu, Vice Chairman of the Chinese Society of Mechanics, congratulated the seminar on soft matter mechanics and offered guidance and eager expectations to the researchers in this field. Professor Xiaohu Yao, Dean of the School of Civil and Transportation Engineering at South China University of Technology, introduced the development history and current status of the university, expressing gratitude to the experts for their support and help in the development of the college, and wished the conference great success.

The conference featured five invited reports from distinguished experts including Academician Wanlin Guo from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Academician Zhengdi Chen from South China University of Technology, Professor Chenxu Wu from Xiamen University, Professor Li Ren, and Professor Liming Bian from South China University of Technology, who gave detailed presentations on topics such as water science technology, polymer soft materials, physics of soft materials, biomaterials and repair materials, and biomedical regenerative technology. The participants engaged in in-depth exchanges and spirited discussions on major scientific challenges facing soft matter mechanics, trends in fundamental research and development, national major needs, and innovative development directions.

Photo 1. Group photo of conference participants

Photo 2. Experts presenting and scholars engaging in academic discussions