From May 13th to 16th, the 16th Annual International Conference of InterPore, jointly organized by China University of Petroleum (East China) and the International Society for Porous Media (InterPore), abbreviated as InterPore 2024, was successfully held in Qingdao. Professor Yao Jun and Professor Yang Yongfei from our university served as the co-chairs of the organizing committee, with all members of the Oil and Gas Seepage Research Center participating in organizing the conference. With the theme Porous Media and Biology, the conference attracted over 850 experts, scholars, and researchers from around the world (including over 300 international scholars from more than 40 countries) to discuss the latest developments in the field of porous media.

The 16th International Conference of the International Society for Porous Media was held in Qingdao

Distinguished experts in the field such as European Academy of Sciences Academician and InterPore Executive Chairman, Professor Majid Hassanizadeh from Utrecht University in the Netherlands; InterPore President and Professor Karsten Thompson from Louisiana State University in the United States; European Academy of Sciences Academician Professor Alberto Guadagnini from Politecnico di Milano in Italy; Royal Academy of Engineering Academician and Imperial College London Professor Martin Blunt; CNRS Professor Michel Quintard from France; Fraunhofer Institute Professor Oleg Iliev from Germany; Professor Yu-Shu Wu from Colorado School of Mines in the United States; Professor Masa Prodanovic from the University of Texas at Austin in the United States; Professor William R. Rossen from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands; Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Professor Chen Zhangxing from Ningbo University of Technology; Academician Susumu Kitagawa from the Japan Academy; CNRS Professor Svetlana .Mintova from France; Professor Wang Moran from Tsinghua University; and Professor Zhao Changying from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and other renowned experts in the field participated in the meeting. Professor Karsten Thompson, InterPore President and Professor at Louisiana State University, presided over the opening ceremony, where Professor Yao Jun delivered the opening speech.

Over 850 experts, scholars, and researchers from around the world attended the conference

Academician Chen Zhangxing, Academician Susumu Kitagawa, Professor Svetlana .Mintova, and Professor Zhao Changying delivered keynote speeches at the conference

The conference featured a diverse range of activities including plenary sessions, invited lectures, parallel sessions, poster presentations, on-site discussions, and online participation. Academician Chen Zhangxing, Academician Susumu Kitagawa, Professor Svetlana .Mintova, and Professor Zhao Changying gave plenary talks on topics such as reservoir simulation, soft porous crystals, adsorption properties of nano-zeolites, and heat transfer in porous media, presenting the latest research advancements and achievements in the field of porous media. Eight global experts, including Alex Hansen, Ivan Lunati, Lucia Mancini, Jan Nordbotten, Catherine A. Peters, Shuyu Sun, Xiaofan Yang, and TieJun (TJ) Zhang, delivered invited lectures focusing on advances in thermodynamics, kinetics, imaging techniques, and numerical simulations in the field of multiphase flow and related processes in porous media. The conference featured 24 parallel sessions, with over 400 scholars presenting academic papers and displaying more than 230 academic posters, engaging in in-depth discussions on the theoretical, applied, and cutting-edge technologies of porous media in the fields of energy, environment, biology, agriculture, and materials science, showcasing the breadth and depth of porous media research and providing participants with a scholarly feast.

InterPore President Professor Karsten Thompson awarded Professor Yao Jun the InterPore Meritorious Service Medal

InterPore President Karsten Thompson presented the InterPore Meritorious Service Medal to Professor Yao Jun in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the development and academic exchange of porous media technology in China and internationally. This marks the fourth medal awarded to a scholar globally by the International Society for Porous Media since its establishment, with Professor Yao Jun becoming the first scholar in China to receive this honor. The conference also featured the selection and presentation of student poster awards, with our university's teachers Wang Wendong, Fu Shuaishi, and doctoral student Hu Zhuocheng receiving InterPore Rosettes awards in recognition of their contributions to the society's work.

The attending professors came to the university to conduct conference courses

The attendees visited the school for exchanges and interaction

During the conference, Professor Majid Hassanizadeh from Utrecht University, Professor Martin Blunt from Imperial College London, and Professor Wang Moran from Tsinghua University held two-day workshop courses for conference participants at our university, with over 100 attendees organized by the organizing committee visiting relevant laboratories at our university.

The conference also included a variety of colorful activities, including a grant writing exchange, diversified forums, career development exchanges, experiences with Chinese traditional arts, and a gala dinner celebration, providing participants with an unforgettable conference experience, enhancing friendship and cooperation among attendees, and laying a solid foundation for future academic research and career development.

The International Society for Porous Media (InterPore) was founded in 2008 with the aim of providing a platform for researchers in the field of complex porous media research to exchange ideas, promote and disseminate cutting-edge knowledge in porous media science and engineering. Its members come from academia and industry worldwide. This conference provided a high-quality academic exchange and cooperation platform for scholars in the field of international porous media, promoting interaction and collaboration within the global academic community, which is of great significance in advancing innovation and development in international porous media science and enhancing our university's international influence.