From April 17 to 20, the 2026 Global Academic Summit for Overseas Academicians and Scholars & the 2nd Annual Symposium of the Global Academy of Overseas Chinese Scholars (GAOCS 2026) was held at the Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo (EIT).
Under the overarching theme of "Bringing Together Minds, Driving Innovation, and Integrating Industry with Research," the summit brought together over 60 overseas academicians, along with renowned scholars from China and abroad, heads of universities and research institutions, representatives from investment and financing organizations, and key players from leading industrial enterprises. They gathered in Ningbo to explore cutting-edge fields such as new energy and new materials, artificial intelligence, and biomedicine, engaging in inspiring discussions and charting future directions.
Summit Venue
Among the attendees were Mr. Yan Xu, Member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Ningbo Municipal Committee and Vice Mayor of Ningbo; Professor Shiyi Chen, President of EIT and Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Professor Ping Cui, Director of the Yongjiang Laboratory; Dr. Ruili Zhang, Party Committee Secretary of Ningbo University; and representatives from the Ningbo Science and Technology Bureau, the Ningbo Association for Science and Technology, and the Ningbo Municipal Economic and Information Technology Bureau.
Address by Mr. Yan Xu
In his address, Mr. Yan Xu highlighted Ningbo's solid economic foundation and strong innovation momentum, noting the city's consistent commitment to embracing global insights and driving change with an open attitude. As a newly established research university built to high standards, EIT has from its very beginning aligned itself with national strategies and regional development needs, working in tandem with Ningbo's industrial growth. It has quickly become a benchmark in higher education, science, and technology innovation in the city. Mr. Yan Xu expressed the hope that the summit would serve as a key opportunity to further leverage EIT's catalytic role, join hands with the attending academicians and scholars to scale new heights in science and technology, foster a high-quality innovation ecosystem, and accelerate industrial upgrading. He called for more cutting-edge research outcomes, core technologies, and innovative teams to take root in Ningbo, serve the city, and empower its development.
Address by President Shiyi Chen
President Shiyi Chen articulated the institution's strategic commitment to "talent-led development". Since its founding, EIT has adhered to the principle of being a "High-Caliber Foundation, Compact yet Distinguished, Research Oriented, and Globally Engaged" institution. To date, it has recruited 16 full-time academicians and 68 national level talents, focusing on core technologies and cutting-edge scientific frontiers while fostering deep integration of industry and research. The university aims to cultivate interdisciplinary innovators who embody both the mindset of a scientist and the vision of an entrepreneur. President Shiyi Chen reaffirmed EIT's readiness to deepen all-round, high-level collaboration with global academicians and scholars, attract more top-tier talent to Ningbo, and work together to translate frontier research into tangible outcomes, thereby shaping the future of high-quality industrial development.
Address by Professor Jingxu Zhu
Professor Jingxu Zhu, Chairman of the Global Academy of Overseas Chinese Scholars and Acting Vice President of EIT, extended a warm welcome to the attending academicians, scholars, and guests. He noted that the Global Academy of Overseases Chinese Scholars has, since its establishment, been committed to building a high-level, in-depth platform for international academic exchange and scientific and technological innovation cooperation. He expressed the hope that this year's summit would serve as a bridge to further pool global intellectual resources, deepen international collaboration, and turn exchanges into tangible results, contributing to global scientific and technological progress.
Academic Presentation by Professor Dongxiao Zhang
During the summit, the academicians and scholars engaged in in-depth discussions and intellectual exchanges on core themes such as science-empowered AI, pathways to commercializing scientific and technological achievement, and the future integration of AI with engineering. Over 40 distinguished academician and scholars, including Professor Dongxiao Zhang, Professor Huiling Duan, Professor Song Guo, Professor Xiaonian Li, Professor Shuguang Cui, Professor Liang Song, Professor Wei Zhang, Professor De Chen, Professor Qiangfu Zhao, and Dr. Renchen Liu, delivered key academic presentations, sharing their latest research advances and industrial applications. Their talks offered forward-looking perspectives and professional guidance for development in the relevant fields.
In addition to frontier academic discussions, the summit also featured first-hand experience-sharing from industry leaders. Mr. Bicheng Han, Founder and CEO of Zhejiang BrainCo Technology Co., Ltd., and Dr. Yadong Jin, Chairman and General Manager of Ningbo Solartron Technology Co., Ltd., presented case studies from their own corporate practices, illustrating how cutting-edge technologies can empower industrial upgrading and offering concrete examples of the precise alignment between research outputs and industry needs.
Panel Discussion Session
The summit also hosted multiple thematic forums and panel discussions, which were precisely focused on pressing industry challenges and innovation needs.
The panel discussion on "Facilitating the Commercialization of Scientific and Technological Achievement" focused on industry-academia-research collaboration pathways, providing actionable plans for translating frontier technologies into practical applications. The panel discussion on "AI and Future Engineering Applications" facilitated discussions on the deep integration of smart technologies with engineering, offering forward-looking guidance for digital and intelligent industrial transformation. The "AI Engineering Education Forum" addressed talent development in the age of AI, exploring new frameworks for building innovative talent training systems and providing fresh perspectives on cultivating globally oriented, versatile engineering talent.
Representatives from the Ningbo Talent Development Group detailed local talent support policies, while institutions such as the Yongjiang Laboratory, the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Ningbo University introduced their work on-site, building a bridge for participants to better understand Ningbo and tap into local resources.
The summit was not only a gathering of global intellectual excellence but also a pragmatic initiative to deepen the integration of industry, academia, and research. Looking ahead, EIT will continue to leverage academic exchanges to enhance talent development and research innovation, focus on breakthroughs in core technologies, deepen international collaboration, and contribute its wisdom and strength to the realization of high-level self-reliance and self-improvement in science and technology, the pursuit of national strategies, and the advancement of high-quality regional development.
