17-20, Dec, 2018, UK-China Researcher Links Workshop on the Electrification of Road Transport 2018 was held successfully in Tianjin. Prof. Kui Jiao from Tianjin University (China) and A.P. Jin Xuan from Loughborough University (UK) cochaired the conference supported by Newton Fund, BC and NSFC. 

     The Vice President of Tianjin University Shuxin Wang and Head of Science in Education British Council Kiki Liang were invited to the conference. 20 UK scholars from 10 colleges including LU, IC and UCL and 20 China scholars from colleges and research institutions such as TJU, XJTU and CATARC made 45 academic presentations on the current hot topics like fuel cell, system controlling, new fuel and advanced engine in the conference and had a deep discussion on the trends of resource development and corresponding solutions.

    Under the Researcher Links scheme of the Newton Fund, the British Council and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) are co-funding the 2018 Workshop on the Electrification of Road Transport (WERT18) in Crowne Plaza Hotel in Tianjin, China from 17th to 20th December 2018.

    The workshop will be coordinated by Dr Jin Xuan (Loughborough University, UK) and Dr Kui Jiao (Tianjin University, China).

    The workshop aims to bring together China and UK researchers in different discipline areas, who would not normally interact, to communicate with each other on the focus of electric revolution for zero-emission road transport in response to the challenges pressed on the automotive industries to deliver zero-emission road transport technologies, reflected by recent 2040-petrol-diesel-car-ban in UK and similar clean air obligation policy in China. The workshop will in the long term mitigate the air pollution and public health problems, known as the most serious issue facing by many Chinese cities nowadays. It will also contribute to the competitiveness of the Chinese (and also UK) economy.

   The workshop will cover alternative electric energy solutions such as fuel cells and batteries which have shown potential to transform the automotive sectors in recent years. Moreover, new, innovative and creative ideas beyond these well-recognised options will also be encouraged and explored.