With clean energy as the main focus, the CEN2022: Applied Energy Symposium successfully came to a close on 25 April. The symposium provided a platform for research and knowledge exchange among international leading researcher, experts, and policy makers who were able to share recent research experience, advances and expertise in the area of clean energy. More importantly, it has been inspiring early-career scholars and PhD students advancing their research careers.

Over the three days, CEN2022 received 160 submissions from experts and scholars from all over the world, including China, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Due to the pandemic, a combined form of both online and in person was adopted for the symposium. There were six keynotes, two panel discussions, and 23 theme talks in seven parallel sessions.

Professor Zhonglin Wang, Foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Professor Jesse Zhu, Canada Research Chair; Professor Dongxiao Zhang, a Member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering; Professor Buxing Han, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Professor Sir Martyn Poliakoff, Fellow of the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering; Professor Zita Vale, Co-Editor-in-Chief of Applied Energy were invited to share their research progress and give keynote speeches online. These high-level keynote speeches have also bring new inspiration to all the attendees, especially those PhD students and early-career researchers.

The conference covered a wide range of topics including carbon mitigation technologies and solutions, clean energy conversion and storage technologies, renewable energy technologies and applications, intelligent energy uses and energy efficiencies, integrated energy systems, emission mitigation technologies, and energy policies and management.

Professor Cheng Heng Pang, who is leading the organising committee, commented that the conference had been successful on many different levels, particularly in its endeavour to be a platform for researchers at all career stages to share their recent findings, learn from each other, and initiate new collaborations.

“Despite the current COVID-19 travel restrictions and time difference, we have managed to hear from speakers, both online and onsite, from more than 15 countries. This shows that the international research community is determined in addressing the key issues in climate change,” said Professor Pang.

At the end of the conference, the Symposium Co-Chair Professor Xiang Gao concluded the symposium with a Chinese traditional proverb: “People with the same goal can benefit from each other and work collaboratively towards it”. The Symposium Co-Chair Professor Jinyue Yan announced the news that UNNC is going to hold 2023 International Symposium of Applied Energy.

To conclude, the Symposium Co-Chair Professor Tao Wu expressed his gratitude to all the members in the organising committee. He hopes this event becomes a bridge and platform for international academic exchange in clean energy and work collaboratively to promote the research developments and carbon neutrality. He is looking forward to the 2023 International Symposium of Applied Energy being held at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, and invites all participants to visit the vibrant campus and city when pandemic restrictions allow.