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UK-China polymer research workshop brings people 'Together'

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The University of Bradford hosted an annual UK-China workshop to continue a ground-breaking collaboration in polymer-related research.

seven people stood and sat around table for a signing

The Polymer Process Engineering (PPE) ’24/UK-China Advanced Materials Research Institute (AMRI) event had the theme of ‘Together’. 

The three-day conference and exhibition featured a number of presentations on polymer-related research themes such as pharmaceutical and medical technologies, the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) in manufacturing, treatment of aggressive types of cancer and exploring ways to reduce the environmental impact of rubber and plastics products to make them more sustainable. 

person stood up speaking at conference

Attendees at the event included delegates from South China University of Technology (SCUT), including its President, Prof Liqun Zhang, pictured above, Sichuan University in China and Mingqin Ding, pictured below at front, Minister Counsellor for Science and Technology of the Chinese Embassy in the UK. 

A number of representatives from the University of Bradford including Vice-Chancellor, Professor Shirley Congdon, pictured below, and from the University’s Polymer Interdisciplinary Research Centre (IRC), a network of leading polymer scientists and engineers, attended the workshop. Prof Congdon also hosted a meeting with Prof Zhang, following recent visits by University of Bradford teams to SCUT to sign initial agreements on co-operation.

three people sat down at conference

The event included a signing ceremony and official unveiling for the Sinopec BRICI – Bradford Joint Laboratory for Advanced Polymer Material. Sinopec is a major global polymer company, and BRICI is its Beijing Institute for Research in the Chemical Industries. 

It is the University of Bradford’s fourth Joint Research Laboratory with China. Professor Phil Coates, Director of the University of Bradford’s Polymer IRC and RCUK Bradford Science Bridges China, and Yanjie Gao, of Sinopec BRICI, are Directors of the new Joint Research Laboratory, while Dr Fin Caton-Rose, of Polymer IRC, and Dr Dali Gao, of Sinopec Beijing Institute for Research in the Chemical Industries – BRICI, are the new laboratory’s managers. 

It was the first time in more than four years that the conference and exhibition event, held between January 8 and 10, had been staged in person. It has previously alternated between Bradford and China each year and was the collaboration’s 16th research workshop. 

University representatives from Queens University Belfast, Leeds, Warwick, Ghent (Belgium), Padova and Salerno (Italy) and Technical University of Denmark were also among those who presented. 

a large group of people stood outside university entrance with their thumbs up

Prof Coates hailed the success of the event. He said: “All the feedback that I have is that this was a most successful event, really bringing us all ‘Together’. 

“I am most grateful to all for such an excellent event, a really top-quality meeting, full of leading science and technology, crossing discipline boundaries and full of great warmth.

Many told me that this was the best event they have been to – this was probably helped by it being our first face-to-face event in over four years

During their visit, delegates were given laboratory demonstrations at the Polymer IRC and a tour of Bradford Council’s City Hall headquarters in the city centre, where a banquet was also held with the Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Gerry Barker. 

The workshop’s VIP session included Kersten England (Bradford CoC 2025), with videos from Prof Dujin Wang (Chinese Academy of Sciences), Philip Law (Director, British Plastics Federation) and Prof Sadhan Jana (President, International Polymer Processing Society).

AMRI was formed after the initial success of the Science Bridges China collaboration. AMRI has more than 300 academics involved in joint research projects and has already resulted in numerous scientific breakthroughs, primarily in advanced polymer materials for healthcare. 

The collaboration has also led to two major award wins. Prof Coates was handed the China International Science and Technology Co-operation Award by the country’s President, Xi Jinping, at a ceremony held in Beijing in January 2018. 

Prof Coates was also presented with the China 70th Anniversary Medal in September 2019.