On the afternoon of August 2nd, the closing ceremony of “Ocean Dreams” 2024 International Summer School on Naval Architecture, Ocean Engineering and Mechanics was held in Mulan Building B208 at the School of Ocean and Civil Engineering (OCE). At this point, the two-week summer school came to a successful end.

This year's summer school received over 100 applications from nearly 20 universities in eight countries, including China, Japan, India, Pakistan, the United Kingdom, Vietnam, Myanmar and Indonesia. In the end, 55 students were selected. The summer school focused on academic lectures from 12 top scholars and renowned professors at domestic and international institutions to deliver outstanding presentations. The course content covered a number of frontier hot topics in naval architecture, ocean engineering and mechanics. The professors’ lectures were interesting, but informative. On-site discussions were lively, creating a strong academic atmosphere. The students gained a great experience from the summer school.

In addition to the engaging lectures by experienced scholars, the summer school organized a variety of on-campus and off-campus activities to broaden the scientific horizons and cultural understanding for the students with both domestic and international backgrounds. Firstly, the students visited major laboratories at OCE, including the Wind Tunnel–Water Circulation Channel, Underwater Engineering Laboratory, Structural Laboratory, and Marine Engineering Laboratory, further deepening their understanding of the research activities at OCE and China’s naval architecture and ocean engineering fields. Secondly, guided by the volunteers, the students toured the University Museum  at the Minhang campus and the C. Y. Tung Maritime Museum at the Xuhui campus, respectively, learning about the history and rich scientific heritage of Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Finally, the students also visited the YUANWANG1 research ship, where they had the opportunity to see an actual vessel and learn about ship-related knowledge.

 Additionally, the summer school arranged for the students to visit Hengtong HMN Technologies Co., Ltd. in Changshu City, Jiangsu Province. The students had the opportunity to discuss with the company’s researchers about the development process and engineering applications of underwater cable systems and to tour the workshop for an in-depth view of the production and transportation processes of marine cables.

In order to further help students practice what they learned about different theories, this Summer School set up 9 experimental courses as group work for the students. The courses required the students to complete experimental design, practical operation, data collection and data processing in their group work and received very positive responses from the students.

To foster academic exchange and interaction among the students, this year’s summer school also held team reports and poster activities. Ten groups discussed key topics in naval architecture and ocean engineering, and presented their findings. The judges provided feedback and selected 3 groups for outstanding reports. Additionally, 45 students from different schools and grades at home and abroad made wonderful posters of their research topics, which were displayed in the 1F hall of Mulan Building. The students engaged in active discussions and received in-depth feedback from the expert teachers. Finally, based on the performances in the team reports and poster displays, 13 excellent students were selected. 

This year's International Summer School on Naval Architecture, Ocean Engineering and Mechanics, supported by the graduate school of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the School of Ocean and Civil Engineering, and several enterprises, was characterized by internationalization, cutting-edge and maturity. By bringing together excellent teachers and resources at home and abroad, the program provided a platform for students to understand the latest trends of this discipline, enrich professional knowledge, exchange learning experiences, improve skills, and stimulate students’ innovation and creativity. We hope that young students will continue to converge at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, delve into frontier topics, and advance the development of naval architecture, ocean engineering, and mechanics in the near future.