Graduate students from several IMI partner institutions attended the Second US-China Workshop on Nanostructured Materials for Global Energy and Environment in Changzhou, China last October.

The event was second in a series of workshops jointly sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the US National Science Foundation to address shared energy and environmental challenges. 

The US students, who came from Northwestern, Louisiana State, Caltech, and UC Santa Barbara, attended workshop talks and research planning discussions, presented posters, and spent time with their Chinese counterparts. One student, Erin Himmelspach of Northwestern, gave a plenary talk on behalf of her adviser, who was unable to attend.

This sort of networking and project planning experience is vital for graduate students, said Director R.P.H. Chang.

One of our major objectives is to develop the next generation of global leaders in energy and environmental research, and we plan to to offer many more such opportunities to IMI students!