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On November 17, the 2025 Sino-Dutch Forum on Advanced Materials was held at the University Town campus of South China Normal University, which brought together government officials, academicians, experts and scholars, and representatives from universities from home and the Netherlands to explore how innovation of materials leads to a green future.
In her opening remarks, Zhuang Jia, deputy director-General of the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Science and Technology, highlighted that China has always aimed at accelerating the realization of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-strengthening, deployed major projects such as "Advanced Materials and Green Manufacturing" in the 14th Five-Year Plan, achieved internationally leading results and contributed Chinese wisdom to global sustainable development while actively promoting scientific and technological cooperation and academic exchange around the world.
She hopes that this forum will serve as an opportunity to promote the establishment of a joint innovation platform for green materials among universities in China and the Netherlands, expand the scale of the "Sino-Dutch Exchange Program for Young Scientists in Materials", promote the joint dual doctoral degree program and thereby enable more young talents to become pioneers in green technology.
Dhoya Snijders, Education and Science Counsellor China from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Beijing, mentioned that the history of cooperation and exchange between China and the Netherlands spans over 50 years. Both countries have solid foundations for cooperation in fields such as science and technology, agriculture, environmental protection and education and so on. Memorandums of Understanding have been signed and remarkable cooperation results have been achieved in above mentioned areas respectively.
He hopes that both countries will further enhance cooperation and exchange, promote the joint training of students and the integrated development of scientific research in advanced materials, promote the technological progress and industrialization of green materials and a circular economy, and cooperatively contribute to solving the current difficulties and challenges in the world.
Yang Huifang, of the Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong province, stated that Guangdong province, as a major economic and technological hub in China, has always adhered to the development concept of scientific and technological exchange and innovation-driven development, promoting itself to become an international first-class region and a world-class urban agglomeration in innovation and technology, as well as promoting scientific and technological innovation cooperation between South China Normal University and universities in the Netherlands.
She believes the bilateral innovation cooperation in the field of advanced materials will reach a new level to contribute to the green, low-carbon and sustainable development of both countries and, further afield, the whole world with the guidance and support from the science and technology departments and the joint efforts of experts and scholars of both countries.
Wang Chunchao, vice-president of SCNU, delivered a speech on behalf of SCNU. He stated that the forum, which focused on cutting-edge and cross-disciplinary fields such as new functional materials, renewable energy, and low-carbon technologies, explored development trends and challenges, shared exchange and cooperation in frontier research, witnessed the establishment of joint laboratories, and the application and transformation in the area of new materials between SCNU and universities in the Netherlands.
The forum has been of great significance to promoting the development model of scientific research cooperation between universities, jointly facilitating the development of low-carbon intelligent materials and safe energy systems for both countries. He looked forwards to further stimulating new ideas, exploring new directions and aiming for more innovative achievements across disciplines through this high-level international exchange platform.
Renowned academicians and professors from China and the Netherlands delivered academic speeches on advanced materials, shared cutting-edge research achievements and industrial development and conducted in-depth discussions on the future development directions and cooperation models of related fields.
Wang Hengyin, Secretary of the CPC SCNU Committee, met with experts and scholars after the conference. He said that the Sino-Dutch Forum has been held more than six years consecutively, citing fruitful results in the development of advanced materials by South China Normal University and universities from the Netherlands through in-depth cooperation.
He hopes universities from both countries will continue to work together, build on the profound success of the forum, establish more high-level international scientific research collaboration platforms, promote coordinated development in areas of joint research and development, talent cultivation and technology transfer, and jointly lead the way to a "green future".
Zhou Guofu, dean of the South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics, delivers a report Sino-Dutch cooperation in electronic paper displays.
Bernard L. Feringa, a Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry, Academician of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Foreign Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, winner of the 2022 Chinese Government Friendship Award, and Professor at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, speaks on "The Art of Building Small".
Jiang Lei, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Foreign Academician of European Academy of Sciences and America's National Academy of Engineering, presents a paper.
Jaap den Toonder, professor of Eindhoven University of Technology, who is Academician of the Netherlands Academy of Engineering, gives a presentation.
Dirk Jan Broer, Academician of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, honored with the Order of the Knight of the Lion (Netherlands), and the 2021 Chinese Government Friendship Award and Professor of Eindhoven University of Technology, delivers a report on Interactive liquid crystal polymer surfaces.
Dr. Lan Ruochen from Jiangxin Normal University delivers a report.
Professor Laurens de Haan of the South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics speaks at the forum.
Prof. Jan Groenewold of Utrecht University delivers his presentation.
Professor Wang Da of the South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics speaks at the forum.
You Yuxin, a graduate from the Sino-Dutch joint Doctoral Program, shares her experience.
Wang Hengyin (middle), the Party Secretary of SCNU, met with the experts and scholars.
Wang Hengyin, the Party Secretary of SCNU, said that the Sino-Dutch Forum has been held more than six years consecutively, attributing its success to the strong support and sincere cooperation from the two sides. Citing fruitful results in the development of advanced materials by South China Normal University and universities from the Netherlands through in-depth cooperation, he hopes universities from both countries will continue to work together, build on the profound success of the forum, establish more high-level international scientific research collaboration platforms, promote coordinated development in areas of joint research and development, talent cultivation and technology transfer, and jointly lead the way to a "green future".
Lin Yinghua and He Qianyi from the South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics contributed to the article.
Proofread by Edwin Baak
Edited by Li Jianru
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