Jingsong Leng

Harbin Institute of Technology, China

Prof. Jinsong Leng obtained his BSc and PhD from Harbin Institute of Technology in 1990 and 1996, respectively. In 1993–1998, he was an assistant professor, lecturer and associate professor at Harbin Institute of Technology. He worked at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore as a research fellow in 1998–2000. In 2000–2002, he was a research fellow at Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Cranfield University. Then, he worked at Phtonics Research Group of Aston University in the UK as a research fellow in 2002–2004. He is now a full professor and the Director of the Center for Smart Materials and Structures at School of Astronautics, Harbin Institute of Technology.

Prof. Jinsong Leng is renowned for his pioneering work in smart materials and structures, particularly in the development and application of shape memory polymers (SMPs) and their composites. His research has significantly advanced the understanding and utilization of SMPs, which can change shape in response to external stimuli such as temperature, light or magnetic fields. These materials have been instrumental in various fields, including aerospace and biomedical engineering. Notably, Prof. Leng has contributed to the innovation of 4D printing technologies, enabling the creation of structures that can transform over time when exposed to specific environmental conditions.

Prof. Leng has authored or co-authored over 410 scientific papers, 14 books/chapters, 120 issued patents and delivered more than 100 invited talks around the world. He also served as Chairman and member of Scientific Committees in International Conferences and as Guest Editor in scientific journals, including the chairman of Asia-Pacific Committee on Smart and Nano Materials(APCSNM), Editor in Chief of International Journal of Smart and Nano Materials (Taylor & Francis, UK), Associate Editor of Smart Materials and Structures (IOP, UK) and Associate Editor of Journal of Intelligent Materials Systems and Structures (SAGE, UK), Associate Editor of International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences (KSASS, Korea) and Editorial Board Member of Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing (Elsevier Ltd, NL), etc. He has been elected as an Executive Council Member of the International Committee on Composite Materials (ICCM). Prof. Leng also has been elected as Fellow of SPIE, Fellow of IOP (Institute of Physics), Fellow of IMMM (Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining), FRAeS (Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society) and Associate Fellow of AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics). In 2021, Prof. Leng was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Chun Hui Wang

The University of New South Wale, Australia

Professor Chun Wang is currently the Head of the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering and the Director of the ARC Research Hub for Connected Sensors for Health. His significant contributions to his field have been recognized with his election as a Fellow of the Academy of Technological Science and Engineering (FTSE) and his appointment as a SHARP professor in recognition of his world-leading research and leadership. In 2022, he was appointed UNSW Scientia Professor, a special category of Professor that recognizes exceptional research and international eminence in their field.

Scientia Professor Wang's research focuses on advanced composites technologies, with a particular focus on load-carrying high-performance structures and soft composites for wearable sensors, actuators and energy storage devices. Recently, his team's breakthroughs in toughening carbon fibre-reinforced composites at cryogenic temperatures have enabled lightweight all-composite vessels for the transportation and storage of liquid hydrogen at minus 253 degrees Celsius, a significant milestone in enabling composite vessels to operate at liquid hydrogen temperatures without matrix cracks, a challenge that has, up until now, prevented mass-market adoption of these materials for such applications.

He serves on the Editorial Advisory Boards of a number of professional journals, including Composites Science and Technology and Composites Part A. His past service experience to the professional community includes the ARC College of Experts (2013-2015), the Chair of the National Committee on Applied Mechanics (2013-2015) and the President of the Australian Fracture Group (1997-2003). He has chaired and co-chaired a number of international conferences, including the 11th International Fatigue Congress (Melbourne Australia and the 22nd International Conference on Composite Materials.

Zhonglin Wang

Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Dr. Zhong Lin Wang received his Ph.D in Physics from Arizona State University in 1987. He is the Hightower Chair in Materials Science and Engineering, Regents' Professor and College of Engineering Distinguished Professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He served as a Visiting Lecturer in SUNY (1987–1988), Stony Brook, as a research fellow at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge (England) (1988–1989), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (1989–1993) and at National Institute of Standards and Technology (1993–1995) before joining Georgia Tech in 1995. He is the Hightower Chair in Materials Science and Engineering and Regents' Professor at Georgia Tech (Emeritus). He is the director of the Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems.

Prof. Zhong Lin Wang is renowned for pioneering the development of nanogenerators, particularly piezoelectric and triboelectric nanogenerators, which convert mechanical energy from environmental and biological sources into electrical energy. This innovation has significantly advanced self-powered systems, enabling applications in personal electronics, sensor networks, biomedical devices and environmental monitoring. His work has established foundational principles and technological pathways for energy harvesting, earning him the title "father of nanogenerators."

Prof. Zhong Lin Wang has been honored with several prestigious awards recognizing his groundbreaking contributions to nanotechnology and energy science. In 2019, he received the Albert Einstein World Award of Science for his pioneering work in nanogenerators and self-powered systems, enabling energy harvesting from environmental and biological sources. The following year, he was awarded the ENI Award in Energy Frontiers for advancements in energy technology, particularly in developing innovative methods for energy harvesting. In 2014, the American Physical Society presented him with the James C. McGroddy Prize for New Materials, acknowledging his outstanding achievements in the science and application of new materials. Most recently, in 2023, Prof. Wang was honored with the Global Energy Prize for inventing triboelectric nanogenerators, a novel energy technology for autonomous systems and large-scale blue energy harvesting. These accolades underscore his significant impact on energy science and nanotechnology.

Prof. Wang was elected as a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2009, member of European Academy of Sciences in 2002, academician of Academia of Sinica (Taiwan) 2018, International fellow of Canadian Academy of Engineering 2019, fellow of American Physical Society in 2005, fellow of AAAS in 2006, fellow of Materials Research Society in 2008, fellow of Microscopy Society of America in 2010, fellow of the World Innovation Foundation in 2002, fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry and fellow of World Technology Network 2014.

Tony Mcnally

The University of Warwick, United Kingdom

Professor Tony McNally is a distinguished academic at the University of Warwick, United Kingdom, specializing in nanocomposites and polymer science. He holds the position of Professor in Nanocomposites and serves as the Director of the International Institute for Nanocomposites Manufacturing within the Warwick Manufacturing Group.

His research focuses on the development and application of nanocomposite materials, particularly those incorporating zero-dimensional, one-dimensional and two-dimensional nanomaterials. Professor McNally's work explores the functionalization of these nanomaterials and investigates the processing-structure-property relationships in polymer science. He has made significant contributions to the understanding of polymer blends, electrical, rheological and thermal percolation, as well as bio-nanocomposites and polymer-modified bitumen.

In recognition of his expertise, Professor McNally has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of Advanced Composites & Hybrid Materials, a leading journal in the field of composites science. He is also the Editor-in-Chief of Functional Composite Materials, further underscoring his leadership in advancing research in composite materials.

Professor McNally's work has been instrumental in advancing the field of nanocomposites, contributing to the development of materials with enhanced properties for various applications, including energy storage, structural components and biomedical devices.