On August 14, the closing ceremony of “Ocean Dreams” 2026 International Summer School on Ocean Engineering and Mechanics was held in Mulan Building B208. With this, the two-week Summer School successfully concluded.

This year’s Summer School attracted 70 outstanding students from 28 universities across eight countries: China, Russia, France, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. The Summer School focused on academic lectures delivered by 14 leading scholars and renowned professors from domestic and international institutions. The course content covered a wide range of cutting-edge topics in naval architecture, ocean engineering, mechanics, and intelligent technologies, including uncertainty modeling, floating offshore wind energy, ocean acoustics, polar engineering, intelligent navigation, green marine power systems, and intelligent marine equipment. The lectures sparked in-depth discussions between the students and experts, fostering an enthusiastic academic atmosphere and broadening the participants’ professional horizons.

In addition to the expert lectures, a variety of on-campus and off-campus visits were organized to broaden the students’ scientific horizons. Participants toured the Minhang Campus of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and visited the University History Museum, gaining a deeper understanding of the University’s history, cultural traditions, and educational achievements. They also visited major research facilities at the School of Ocean and Civil Engineering, including the Deepwater Offshore Basin, the Ship Model Towing Tank, the Cavitation Tunnel, and the Structural Mechanics Laboratory. During these visits, participants learned about model testing of deepwater semi-submersible platforms, ship model testing in head waves, flow-field visualization and measurement, and structural water-entry impact testing. These activities provided firsthand experience of the capabilities of modern large-scale experimental facilities and their applications in naval architecture and ocean engineering research.

The Summer School also arranged visits to the China Maritime Museum, the Yuanwang survey ship, and the Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute. At the China Maritime Museum, participants explored the history of maritime navigation, the evolution of maritime technologies, and exchanges between Chinese and international maritime cultures. During the onboard tour of the Yuanwang, students gained a direct understanding of the ship’s overall configuration, principal equipment, and operational functions, further deepening their knowledge of large specialized vessels and marine equipment. At the Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute, participants learned about ship design and development processes and the engineering applications of relevant technologies. These field visits further broadened the students’ professional horizons and enhanced their understanding of the naval architecture and ocean engineering industry.

To further integrate theory with practice and provide participants with hands-on research experience, the Summer School offered eight experimental courses in mechanics and four in ocean engineering. Students selected projects based on their academic interests and participated in experimental operations, observation, data collection, and result analysis. The projects covered robotic-arm digital twins, multi-view camera array measurement, digital image correlation measurement, three-dimensional shape measurement, droplet motion, model testing of deepwater semi-submersible platforms, ship model testing in head waves, flow-field visualization and measurement, and structural water-entry impact testing. Through these activities, participants gained valuable insights into the relevant theories, experimental methods, and engineering practices.

To foster academic exchange and interaction among students, this year’s Summer School also held group discussions, team presentations, and an academic poster exhibition. Participants from different countries and universities formed 12 groups to conduct research and discussions on cutting-edge topics in naval architecture and ocean engineering before presenting their findings. The judging panel provided professional feedback and selected two teams for the Outstanding Team Presentation Award. Meanwhile, participants presented their individual research projects in the form of academic posters and exchanged research ideas with faculty members and fellow students. The exhibition featured a lively academic atmosphere, fully demonstrating the innovative thinking and academic vitality of the young scholars.

At the closing ceremony, Professor Li Fang, Director of this year’s Summer School, presented certificates of completion to all participants and delivered a concluding address. He reviewed the wide range of academic and practical activities conducted over the preceding two weeks and encouraged the participants to regard the Summer School as a new starting point. He expressed the hope that they would apply what they had learned to their future studies and research, broaden their horizons and strengthen friendships through continued exchange and collaboration, and actively pursue innovation in naval architecture, ocean engineering, and mechanics.

This year’s Summer School provided an immersive academic experience through a diverse program of expert lectures, experimental courses, thematic discussions, poster presentations, and field visits. Distinguished by its global outlook, cutting-edge content, and interdisciplinary approach, the program not only facilitated the exchange of knowledge and ideas but also served as a valuable platform for strengthening academic communication and collaboration among universities in China and abroad.