On 14 May 2025, the Honorary Professorship Conferment Ceremony for Professor Marian Wiercigroch and International Symposium on Applied Mechanics was successfully held at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC). Professor Wiercigroch is an internationally renowned scholar in the field of nonlinear dynamics, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE), and currently holds the prestigious Sixth Century Chair in Applied Dynamics at the University of Aberdeen. He is also the founding director of the internationally recognized Centre for Applied Dynamics Research (CADR).
The ceremony commenced in the morning with an opening welcome by Professor Jian Yang, followed by an address from Professor John Zhou, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering. Professor Laura Bishop, UNNC Vice Provost for Research and Knowledge Exchange, read the citation and conferred the honorary professorship certificate upon Professor Wiercigroch.
In the subsequent inaugural lecture session, Professor Wiercigroch delivered a lecture titled “Nonlinear Dynamics for Downhole Drilling Engineering Design,” offering an in-depth overview of his cutting-edge research and its broad applications in engineering practice. He highlighted the role of nonlinear dynamic modeling in enhancing drilling system performance, with a particular focus on vibration control and intelligent design strategies. The session was chaired by Professor Christos Spitas, Head of the Department of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering at UNNC.
The afternoon session featured a series of plenary sessions focusing on advanced materials, precision manufacturing, and mechanical system dynamics. The sessions were chaired by Professor Xiuting Sun from Tongji University, Professor Ze-Qi Lu from Shanghai University, and Professor Christos Spitas from UNNC. Invited speakers included Professor Guoxing Lu from Zhejiang University and Dr Ruitao Su from Y-Lab. Professor Guoxing Lu presented on the energy absorption performance of origami metamaterials under crushing, offering insights into innovative structural designs for impact resistance. Dr Ruitao Su shared the latest research findings on 3D printed microstructures for functional devices, highlighting their potential applications in smart materials, soft robotics, and miniaturized systems.
In addition to the invited talks, UNNC researchers, Professor Yong Shi, Dr Alireza Daman Pak, Dr Amin Farrokh Ababi, Dr Ruslan Melentiev, Dr Dunant Halim, and Dr ChungKet Thein also presented their research progress in areas such as hyperelastic lattice mechanics, mechanical characterization of metamaterials, high-precision motion control, advanced additive manufacturing, and energy harvesting systems.
The Honorary Professorship Conferment Ceremony and International Symposium on Applied Mechanics provided a high-level exchange platform for experts and scholars but also demonstrated the international academic influence of our university in the fields of nonlinear dynamics.
By focusing on cutting-edge topics in engineering and interdisciplinary research, the event further promoted the integration of theoretical research and engineering applications and inspired broad potential for multidisciplinary collaboration and international cooperation.
In the future, the Faculty of Science and Engineering will continue to gather global wisdom, explore academic frontiers, and work together to build a more prosperous research ecology.
Published on 15 May 2025