In the context of "dual carbon" and new urbanization construction, the discipline of Building Environment and Energy Application of Faculty of Infrastructure Engineering at Dalian University of Technology has been strengthening collaboration with the University of Hong Kong, Aalto University in Finland, and Cardiff University in the United Kingdom in the fields of urban climate, low-carbon building energy, and architectural design. The team has already jointly published over ten high-level papers. Currently, ongoing international collaborative projects include the National Natural Science Foundation's international exchange program, the Dalian University of Technology and Cardiff University international exchange program, and the overseas visiting scholars program. On July 8, 2023, Professor Li Yuguo from the University of Hong Kong, Professor Risto Lahdelma from Aalto University, and Professor Luo Zhiwen from Cardiff University were invited to visit the Faculty of Infrastructure Engineering. Through discussions and exchanges, they aimed to strengthen international cooperation, expand collaboration areas, and provide an international communication platform for young teachers and doctoral students. Associate Professor Wang Haichao and Deputy Dean Zhao Tianyi from the School of Civil Engineering at Dalian University of Technology jointly organized the first International Forum on Low Carbon Building Energy and Sustainable Towns (LCBEST) to achieve these objectives.

Brief introduction of visiting professors:

- Li Yuguo: Professor and Chair of Building Environment at the University of Hong Kong, specializing in urban climate, indoor environment, and infectious environments. He was elected as a member of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences in 2022 and has received several prestigious awards. He currently serves as the co-chair of the Global Technical Consultation Task Force on Airborne Transmission of Respiratory Pathogens led by the World Health Organization.

- Risto Lahdelma: Distinguished Professor in District Energy at Aalto University in Finland, and an overseas visiting scholar at Dalian University of Technology. His main research areas include mathematical modeling, simulation, optimization, and multi-criteria decision-making support. He applies these technologies to various fields, including energy systems and environmental issues.

- Luo Zhiwen: Professor at the Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University, and an overseas visiting scholar at Dalian University of Technology. He leads a research team focusing on building and urban scales, researching intelligent, resilient, and healthy building environments under minimum energy consumption conditions to address climate change and public health emergencies such as COVID-19. He serves as a committee member and chair of the award committee for the International Association for Urban Climate (IAUC) and is the Chair of the Environmental and Climate Impacts Scientific and Technical Committee for the International Society of Indoor Air Quality and Climate (ISIAQ).

Forum keynote presentations

Forum opening ceremony

Forum on-site photos

The forum consisted of three sessions, including keynote presentations, a youth forum, and a doctoral forum. The entire forum was conducted in English and took place both online and offline, with over 40 attendees present offline and over 50 attendees online. The conference was presided over by Associate Professor Wang Haichao.

During the opening ceremony of the forum, Deputy Dean Zhao Tianyi of the School of Civil Engineering delivered a welcoming speech. Subsequently, three internationally renowned professors gave keynote presentations: Professor Li Yuguo presented on "Why Haven't We Been Able to Prevent Urban Warming and Increased Humidity in Kowloon City?"; Professor Risto Lahdelma presented on "Thermal, Electric, and Cooling Synergistic Optimization of Buildings"; and Professor Luo Zhiwen presented on "Multiscale Building and Urban Modeling for Achieving Resilient and Healthy Lifestyles." These presentations resonated with the participants, and there was lively interaction and exchange of ideas between the online and offline attendees.

In the afternoon session of the youth forum, Wang Haichao presented on "Research on Digital Twin of Heating Systems and MPC-based Multi-User Zone Group Control Methods," Zhao Yu presented on "Diffusion Patterns of Major Pollutants under Different Indoor Walking Conditions," and Wang Peng presented on "Sensor Data Diagnosis and Restoration Techniques for Air Conditioning Monitoring Systems." Each presentation sparked great interest among visiting professors, leading to in-depth discussions and exchanges on specific research details at the venue.

Youth forum and doctoral forum

Forum group photo

The doctoral forum section of the LCBEST Forum showcased the latest research developments from six doctoral students from the discipline of Building Environment and Energy Application. Visiting professors provided detailed feedback on the students' work, offering valuable insights to guide their future research and dissertation writing. The forum also fostered the international communication skills of the doctoral students, broadening their perspectives and stimulating innovative thinking in scientific research. The successful outcome of the Low Carbon Building Energy and Sustainable Urban International Forum was made possible through the strong support of nearly a hundred attending experts, professors, and students. This has further enhanced the international joint talent cultivation and academic influence of the building and environmental science discipline at Dalian University of Technology.