China's Harbin Institute of Technology hosts International Ph.D. Symposium co-organized by ICT

Illinois transportation faculty and Ph.D. students headed to Harbin, China, to attend the Fourth International Transportation Ph.D. Student Symposium, which was hosted by the Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), an internationally renowned university in China. The symposium was held May 30–June 1, 2015.

The doctoral forum, initiated in December 2012 to foster mutual collaboration between the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and HIT, was later expanded to include other educational institutions. This year, the event attracted more than 50 attendees, including 35 Ph.D. students and a number of internationally recognized faculty in transportation systems and pavements.

ICT director Imad Al-Qadi says that this event is a great opportunity for the Center’s Ph.D. students to interact with students from other universities and discuss challenges and common scientific interests. “It’s been a nice platform for students to get together and exchange ideas and discuss their research. I am pleased that this program is gaining momentum.”

Presentations about pavements and systems were given by faculty members and Ph.D. students and were followed by poster sessions at which students had the opportunity to discuss their research work informally.

The participating institutes plan to hold this event annually to maintain close interaction among attendees. The Fifth International Transportation Ph.D. Student Symposium will be hosted next year by Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.