From August 20th to 26th, 2023, the "Sino-EU Engineering Education Platform (SEEEP) High Level PhD Summer School," jointly sponsored by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Zhejiang University, KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, and Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands (TU/e)organized by School of Mechanical Engineering of Shanghai Jiao Tong University was successfully held.

Group photo of all teachers and students at the summer school, as a memento.

This summer school was a high-level event organized under the framework of the Sino-European Engineering Education Alliance and the Sino-European School for Sustainable Engineering Doctorates. It was also a project of the 2023 Graduate School of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The theme of this year's summer school was "Role of fossil fuels in energy transitions." Renowned professors, experts, scholars, and doctoral students from China and Europe in the field of energy gathered at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. They focused on topics such as efficient utilization and emission reduction technologies of fossil fuels, energy security, and new energy storage technologies. The aim was to explore reasonable and feasible solutions for the significant challenges faced by societal sustainable development, including the synergistic development of fossil fuels and renewable energy.

The SEEEP summer school is held alternately in China and Europe each year, lasting for two weeks. This year marked the first time the event was held in person in China after the pandemic. The two-week program took place at Zhejiang University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The 43 students from 8 well-known universities in China and Europe were divided into 7 groups. Each day, the students engaged in learning through a combination of more than 2 academic presentations, discussions, technical visits, and other activities. By studying topics such as energy storage materials, solar thermal power generation, building energy efficiency, solar energy, and ground-source heat pumps, the students honed their interdisciplinary communication and cross-cultural collaboration skills. Within the two weeks, they developed research ideas related to the respective topics and successfully presented their group reports.

In addition to comprehensive academic lectures by Sino-European experts across various fields, this summer school also arranged diverse practical and observational activities for the students. During the visit to JA Solar Technology Co., Ltd., students gained insights into the cutting-edge advancements and production processes of crystalline silicon photovoltaic panels, deepening their understanding of photovoltaic power generation. The charming traditional Chinese architecture at the Guangfulin Cultural Relics Site captivated the students, and the museum seemingly "floating" on water left them amazed by Shanghai's "journey through time and space," spanning from ancient times to the modern era.

Professor Björn Laumert and Professor David Smeulders introduced the course schedule

Academic lecture by Professor Li Tingxian.

Tour of JA Solar Technology Co., Ltd. production line.

Four doctoral students from relevant disciplines, including the School of Mechanical Engineering and the Sino-British College for Low Carbon Technology at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, were among the participants. During the event, Professor Dai Yanjun, Professor Li Tingxian, and Associate Professor Ma Tao from our School of Mechanical Engineering delivered high-level presentations.

Contributed by: Institute of Refrigeration and Cryogenics