On the afternoon of July 24, 2026, the closing ceremony and award presentation of the 11th "Zhihong" International Summer School on Advanced Materials, hosted by the School of Materials Science and Engineering (SMSE) of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), was held at Lecture Hall 100 of the Materials Innovation Building. Attendees included Dai Qing, Dean of SMSE, Lin Tianquan, Vice Dean of SMSE, Zhang Renlei from the Graduate Student Administration Office, Xue Xundan from the Internationalization Office of the Graduate School, as well as over 30 students from six countries: Kazakhstan, India, Serbia, Thailand, Russia and China.

The closing ceremony was hosted by Chinese students Tao Yu and Zhang Xiyan.

First, all attendees watched a review video of the two-week summer school. Set to soothing music, the video compiled wonderful moments throughout the program. Documentary photos pieced together the fulfilling two weeks of academic life, interspersed with vivid scenes of students participating in the dragon boat experience, vividly recreating every detail of classroom studies and cultural practices. Guests and all students watched attentively, reliving the time spent together through the footage, with a warm and heartfelt atmosphere filling the venue.

Subsequently, Dean Dai Qing delivered a speech. He first congratulated on the successful hosting of this year's "Zhihong" International Summer School and expressed gratitude to all organizers, lecturers, volunteers and participants. He also explained the origin of the name "Zhihong" to the students, introducing its profound connection with the School of Materials Science and Engineering of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Finally, he entrusted earnest expectations to all students, hoping they would cherish the knowledge, cultural experiences and new friendships gained at this summer school, and wishing them greater achievements in the future.

Figure 1 Dai Qing Delivering a Speech

Sofija Petkovic from Serbia delivered a speech as the student representative of the summer school. She stated that she cherished this learning opportunity greatly and sincerely thanked the lecturers for their careful teaching and the volunteers for their enthusiastic assistance, from which she had benefited a lot. Beyond the lectures, she experienced traditional Chinese cultural activities such as dragon boating and martial arts up close, immersing herself in the heritage of Chinese culture. All these experiences together formed her unique and precious two-week memory at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Figure 2 Speech by Sofija Petkovic

Next, Teacher Lin Tianquan presented awards for the Most Popular Poster, Best Poster, Group Presentation Excellence Awards, Most Popular Short Video Award, and Outstanding Volunteer Awards of the summer school.

Figure 3 Recipient of Most Popular Poster and Best Poster Awards: Sofija Petkovic

Figure 4 First Prize of Group Presentation

Figure 5 First Prize of Short Video Award

Figure 6 Volunteer Team Leaders

Figure 7 Volunteer Team Members

Finally, the closing speech officially declared the successful conclusion of the 2026 "Zhihong" International Summer School on Advanced Materials of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Although the two-week gathering has come to an end, the knowledge gained, cross-border friendships forged and vivid memories made by the students will remain with them for a long time. The hosts expressed gratitude to all participants for their dedication and support, wished everyone a smooth return journey and success in their academic and research endeavors, and looked forward to future reunions. The award presentation and closing ceremony of this summer school concluded successfully.

The "Zhihong" International Summer School on Advanced Materials has been held annually since 2016, and this year marks the 11th edition hosted by the School of Materials Science and Engineering. Building on well-received classic activities such as academic lectures, cultural festivals and enterprise visits, this year's summer school continued to feature special programs including fun sports games and kung fu classes. Based on years of surveys and student feedback, the "Zhihong" International Summer School on Advanced Materials continues to innovate its teaching model, closely aligning with the key research strengths of SMSE, SJTU and cutting-edge hotspots in materials science. It provides students with access to international frontier achievements in advanced materials, helps them broaden their knowledge boundaries and academic horizons, and builds a broad exchange and learning platform for Chinese and international students.

Figure 8 Group Photo

Sincere thanks to the Graduate School of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and the National College of Outstanding Engineers for their generous support and thoughtful guidance of the Zhihong Summer School.

Special thanks to all volunteers. Planning Team: Zhang Sihan (Team Leader), Luo Xiaofu, Zhang Xiyan, Tao Yu, Gao Yinghao Logistics Team: Dai Zijin (Team Leader), Zhang Yuqing, Ni Ying, Yu Sutong, Zhang Zhuofan, Zhang Ziyi, Liu Antai Communication Team: Song Xu (Team Leader), Chen Yanxi, Xing Jiayi

Special thanks also go to all lecturers for delivering wonderful lectures to the students.