Some 100 researchers and students from China convened online for the Pudong Forum of Fluid Physics hosted by NYU Shanghai May 27-29th. Co-sponsored by the NYU-ECNU Institute of Physics at NYU Shanghai and the NYU-ECNU Institute of Mathematical Sciences at NYU Shanghai, the forum provided a platform for researchers to share the latest breakthroughs in biological fluid physics, hydrodynamics and applications and geological fluid dynamics and facilitate collaboration among institutions and groups.
He Guowei, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chair of the Academic Committee in the Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, kicked off the proceedings in the opening ceremony. The forum featured 32 short lectures in the style of the American Physical Society (APS) Meetings with each speaker giving a 20-minute talk followed by a 10-minute Q&A session.
Invited speakers came from a variety of academic disciplines - from physics, applied mathematics to geologists and computational scientists; and from various levels of experience - from senior researchers to PhD students and even an undergraduate student.
Talks on the forum were grouped into three sessions - biological fluid physics, hydrodynamics and applications and geological fluid dynamics. Discussions on Day One and Day Two were themed on “Biological Fluid and Active Matter & Fluid Dynamics and Applications.” Twenty speakers from 12 universities, including Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMCAS), Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and NYU Shanghai presented their latest research results. Bu Yifan ’22, who graduated just last month with a Bachelor of Science in Physics degree was the only undergraduate speaker at the forum, sharing results from his study on the optical performance of a liquid lens. NYU Shanghai Postdoctoral Fellow Su Zhuang presented his work on the application of control-equation-embedded deep learning algorithms in particle image velocimetry data post-processing.
On Day Three, another 12 researchers from 8 universities, including China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, East China Normal University, Duke Kunshan University, Sun Yat-sen University gave talks on “Fluid Dynamics and Applications & Geophysical Fluid.” NYU Shanghai Assistant Professor of Mathematics Jinzi Mac Huang introduced his latest research progress in the study of dissolution and fluid-structure interactions. NYU PhD student Wang Kaizhe presented his work on the dynamics of a free-rotating body interacting with the large-scale circulation (LSC) of Rayleigh–Bénard thermal convection.
Originally planned to be held on-site, the forum was forced to move online due to the resurgence of COVID-19 in Shanghai this spring. “As scientists, there is nothing more important than their scientific findings and the free exchange of ideas and inspirations. As Shanghai is slowly walking out from the current pandemic, the success of our meeting is particularly precious and significant,” said NYU Shanghai Professor of Physics and Mathematics and forum organizing committee member Jun Zhang.
“We aimed at building a collaborative community through the forum,” said Jinzi Mac Huang, who was also an organizer of the forum, “And we are glad to see that many attendants have started more in-depth discussions after the forum and are planning for potential collaborations. As an international platform, NYU Shanghai has a unique edge in hosting such an event and it will also help us build better connections with the research community in China.”