The 21st National Conference on Environmental Mechanics (CEM2026) was recently held at Harbin Engineering University (HEU). More than 300 experts and delegates gathered at the event to address key mechanical challenges in disaster prevention, environmental protection, and sustainable development, in alignment with major national and regional strategic needs.
WANG Zhan, Deputy Director of the Institute of Mechanics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and HAN Duanfeng, Vice President of HEU, attended the opening ceremony and delivered addresses.
WANG Zhan highlighted that HEU has achieved a series of important results in ship and ocean engineering hydrodynamics, polar sea ice, and ice-induced environmental dynamics, which have laid a solid foundation for the successful convening of this conference. He encouraged environmental mechanics researchers to closely align their work with national development priorities, enhance original innovation and core technological capabilities, and contribute their expertise to advancing the high-quality development of environmental mechanics in China.
HAN Duanfeng emphasized that environmental mechanics serves as a bridge between fundamental research and engineering practice, and is a critical pillar for addressing resource–environment constraints and ensuring the safety of major engineering projects. HEU, he stated, will continue to deepen interdisciplinary integration across mechanics, oceanography, environmental science, materials, and information technology; reinforce coordinated efforts in theoretical exploration, experimental research, numerical simulation, and engineering applications; and accelerate the translation of research outcomes into productive forces, so as to better serve national strategic demands and regional socioeconomic development.
During the plenary keynote session, nine experts delivered featured presentations: Professor XU Qiang (Chengdu University of Technology), Professor FAN Feng (Harbin Institute of Technology), Professor LIU Hua (Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Professor YU Xiping (Southern University of Science and Technology), Professor XI Hengdong (Northwestern Polytechnical University), Professor MA Zhanhong (National University of Defense Technology), Professor SUN Jin (Tongji University), Researcher YANG Zixuan (Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences), and Professor ZHANG Aman (Harbin Engineering University). The presentations covered major engineering demands and frontier topics including geological landslides, wind and snow in cold regions, and atmospheric and oceanic processes. Through multifaceted sharing in theoretical innovation, methodological enrichment, and engineering practice, the reports offered valuable insights and references for the attending scholars and professionals.
The conference accepted and received 220 submitted papers and 23 multimedia video works. Nine parallel sessions were organized, and through evaluation led by the conveners of each session, 23 outstanding graduate student presentations were selected.
Since the establishment of the Environmental Mechanics Committee under the Chinese Society of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, the National Conference on Environmental Mechanics has been successfully convened for twenty sessions. It has developed a branded symposium framework centered on core mechanical issues in atmospheric environment, water environment, and rock–geological domains, providing a sustained and open platform for theoretical inquiry, experimental research, numerical simulation, engineering applications, and academic collaboration in related fields.
