From June 14 to 18, the International Symposium on Ice was held in Shanghai. As one of the leading academic conferences in the polar field, this marked the first time that the symposium series was held in eastern China. The symposium was jointly hosted by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the Marine Design and Research Institute of China, and Dalian University of Technology, with support from the Chinese Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers and the journal Ship & Boat. A total of 221 experts, scholars, engineering professionals, and industry representatives from 15 countries and regions gathered at the event to exchange ideas and discuss cutting-edge topics in ice science, ice engineering, polar ships, offshore structures, and related fields.

Group Photo of the Symposium

On the morning of June 15, the opening ceremony of the International Symposium on Ice was held. Weidong Liu, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shanghai Jiao Tong University Committee and Vice President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, delivered the welcome address. He noted that ice science and ice engineering are important foundational fields supporting polar scientific expeditions, cold-region engineering construction, safe navigation in ice-covered waters, and the development of marine equipment. He stated that Shanghai Jiao Tong University has long been deeply engaged in research on naval architecture and ocean engineering, as well as polar equipment, and has established a comprehensive disciplinary system and research platforms. He expressed the hope that the symposium would serve as an opportunity to deepen cooperation with international academic organizations and partners at home and abroad, and to jointly promote the high-quality development of ice science and ice engineering.

Weidong Liu, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shanghai Jiao Tong University Committee and Vice President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Delivers a Speech

Shixiao Fu, Dean of the School of Ocean and Civil Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, gave a comprehensive introduction to the School's development, covering its history, discipline development, faculty, research platforms, and international cooperation. He highlighted the School's disciplinary strengths in naval architecture and ocean engineering, as well as its major research achievements in recent years.

Dean Shixiao Fu Introduces the School of Ocean and Civil Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Li Zhou, Chair of the Symposium and Research Professor at the School of Ocean and Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, presided over the opening ceremony. He reported on the School's research progress in sea ice mechanics, ice-structure interaction, polar ships, and ocean engineering equipment. He also introduced the School's ice tank testing platform, large-scale experimental facilities for naval architecture and ocean engineering, and other research infrastructure, highlighting its strong foundation and innovation capacity in ice science and polar engineering.

Li Zhou, Research Professor at the School of Ocean and Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Reports on the School's Research Progress in Sea Ice Mechanics and Polar Engineering

During the keynote session, Pentti Kujala, Visiting Chair Professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Tomasz Kolerski, Chair of the Technical Committee on Ice Research and Engineering; Ruibo Lei, Research Professor at the Polar Research Institute of China; and Gang Wu, Chief Expert at the Marine Design and Research Institute of China, delivered keynote speeches on polar ship design, river ice hazards, the International Polar Year initiative, and the intelligent development of polar marine equipment, respectively. They shared the latest research achievements and development trends in ice science and ice engineering.

Pentti Kujala, Visiting Chair Professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University

“Review of Challenges in Developing Ships for Polar Waters”

Tomasz Kolerski, Chair of the Technical Committee on Ice Research and Engineering

“River Ice: When Rarity Increases Vulnerability”

Ruibo Lei, Research Professor at the Polar Research Institute of China

“The IPY's Achievements and China's Priorities toward the IPY-5 (2032–2033)”

Gang Wu, Chief Expert at the Marine Design and Research Institute of China

“A New R&D Paradigm for Polar Marine Equipment Driven by Digital and Intelligent Technologies”

The symposium featured three parallel tracks and seven thematic sessions, with presentations covering topics such as ice load prediction, the mechanical properties of sea ice, navigation safety in ice-covered waters, ice-resistant design of offshore structures, and the application of artificial intelligence and digital twin technologies in ice engineering. Participants engaged in in-depth discussions on a wide range of topics, including river, lake, and reservoir ice; sea ice; ice mechanics and hydraulics; ice-structure interaction; navigation in ice-covered waters; polar ships and offshore structures; icing and low-temperature effects; remote sensing and prediction; the impacts of climate change on the cryosphere; and environmental and ecological issues in cold regions.

Parallel Session Discussions

On the afternoon of June 17, the closing ceremony of the symposium was held. Xinlei Guo, Director of the Institute of Hydraulics at the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research; Samuli Hänninen, Department Manager at ABB; and Qingkai Wang, Associate Professor at Dalian University of Technology, delivered invited presentations on advances in ice science research in China, icebreaker propulsion technology, and the mechanical behavior of sea ice, respectively. Li Zhou delivered a summary of the symposium on behalf of the Organizing Committee and announced that the next International Symposium on Ice would be held in Vancouver, Canada, in 2028.

Xinlei Guo, Director of the Institute of Hydraulics, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research

“Recent Advances in Ice Research and Engineering in China”

Samuli Hänninen, Department Manager at ABB

“Advancements in Ship Propulsion Technologies for Icebreakers”

Qingkai Wang, Associate Professor at Dalian University of Technology

“Experiments and Simulations on the Macro- and Meso-Mechanical Behavior of Sea Ice”

Closing Ceremony

On June 18, symposium participants visited the Minhang Campus of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, where they toured several large-scale research and testing platforms, including the Multifunctional Ship Model Towing Tank, the Deepwater Offshore Basin, and the Institute of Underwater Engineering. They also held in-depth exchanges with on-site research staff on experimental techniques and platform development.

Participants Visit SJTU Minhang Campus

The symposium provided a high-level platform for exchange among experts and scholars in global ice research, cold-region hydraulic engineering, polar ships and marine equipment, and navigation safety in ice-covered waters. As one of the hosts, Shanghai Jiao Tong University will take this symposium as a new starting point, fully leveraging its disciplinary strengths in naval architecture and ocean engineering as well as its large-scale research platforms. Oriented toward the major needs of polar scientific research, navigation safety in ice-covered waters, and building China into a maritime power, the University will continue to strengthen fundamental research, key technology development, and international collaborative innovation, contributing SJTU's expertise to national strategies and advancing the development of engineering science and technology for cold regions worldwide.