The workshop was presided over by Professor Peizhi Zhuang from the School of Qilu Transportation at Shandong University. Professor Weimin Yang, Deputy Dean of the School of Qilu Transportation, delivered a warm welcome speech, enthusiastically welcoming the faculty and students from UNNC and briefly introducing Shandong University's research progress and achievements in the field of transportation infrastructure. Professor Laura Bishop, Vice Provost for Research and Knowledge Exchange at UNNC, reviewed the establishment and development of the UNNC-SDU DTP. She highly praised the phased achievements made in the cooperation and expressed her expectations for future collaboration, wishing both sides greater breakthroughs in talent cultivation and research cooperation.

The presentation session of the workshop was dominated by doctoral students, who delivered fascinating reports on their respective research topics. Covering a wide range of fields such as artificial intelligence data analysis, material synthesis, environmental governance, and energy system simulation, the students showcased their innovative achievements. These presentations not only demonstrated the students' research capabilities but also highlighted the academic vitality of the joint doctoral training program between the two universities.

The workshop was attended by a distinguished group of scholars, including Professor Laura Bishop, Vice Provost for Research and Knowledge Exchange at UNNC; Dr. Juan Wang and Dr. Mengxia Xu, academic leaders of the UNNC-SDU DTP Programme; Dr. Fangfang Zhu, Dr. Shu Liu, Dr. Jing Bie, and Dr. Ahmad Mousa; as well as Professor Quan Zhang, Secretary of the CPC Committee of the School of Qilu Transportation; Professor Weimin Yang, Deputy Dean; Professor Qingsong Wang and Professor Yuzhong Li from the School of Nuclear Science and Engineering. They actively participated in the discussions, providing valuable guidance and suggestions to the doctoral students.

After the workshop, PhD student Zhuhao Zhang, who participated in the program, shared his feelings: " Over the past two years, I have been fortunate to be a part of the UNNC-SDU DTP Programme, participating in this academic dialogue that bridges the East and the West, which has enriched my academic trajectory and broadened my research perspective. At Shandong University, I systematically consolidated my professional foundation in civil engineering, delved into several national-level research projects under the guidance of my supervisors, and tackled technical challenges alongside top-tier research teams. At the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, the fully English academic environment exposed me to international educational models and interdisciplinary research opportunities, injecting new perspectives into my studies. The diverse yet complementary styles of supervisors from both universities, along with bi-weekly video group meetings, have accelerated my academic growth. Through the collision and integration of Eastern and Western research methodologies, I have gradually developed the ability to connect Chinese practices with the international academic community." Her remarks vividly demonstrated the unique growth experience brought to students by the joint training program.

The strong international background of UNNC and the excellent facilities of Shandong University represent a powerful combination. As Dr. Jing Bie from UNNC said, "We believe we will soon reap abundant fruits from this collaboration, and we hope to further strengthen exchanges and promote broader cooperation between the two sides." The workshop not only facilitated academic exchanges and cooperation between the two universities but also provided a valuable opportunity for doctoral students to learn and showcase their work.

Thank you to all participants for their enthusiastic support. We look forward to even closer cooperation between the two universities in the future to jointly advance academic development.