The International Symposium on Interdisciplinary Research in Civil Engineering Sciences was successfully held online from September 16^th to 17^th 2021. The event was initiated by Prof. Yong Yuan, Prof. Herbert Mang, and Dr. Jiaolong Zhang, from the College of Civil Engineering of Tongji University, and Prof. Bernhard Pichler from TU Wien--Vienna University of Technology. It was jointly organized by the College of Civil Engineering of Tongji University, Institute for Mechanics of Materials and Structures of TU Wien, the Austrian-China Research Center on Tunnel and Underground Engineering (ACTUE), and the Central European Association for Computational Mechanics (CEACM).

Prof. Ying Zhou, Dean of the College of Civil Engineering, attended the symposium and chaired the opening ceremony. The distinguished guests attending the opening ceremony included Prof. Peiming Lu, Executive Vice President of Tongji University, Prof. Josef Eberhardsteiner, Vice Rector of Vienna University of Technology, Mr. Fengyun Lei, Counsellor for Scientific and Technological Affairs from Chinese Embassy in Austria, Mr. Helmut Rakowitsch, Consul General of the Austrian Consulate General Shanghai, Alexandra Wagner, Head of the OeAD Cooperation Office Shanghai, Prof. Wolf-Dieter Rausch, President of Eurasia Pacific Uninet (EPU), and Prof. Herbert Mang from TU Wien and Tongji University. They reviewed the history of cooperation between Tongji University and TU Wien as well as between China and Austria, praised the achievements of the bilateral cooperation and exchanges, and expressed ardent expectations for broader and deeper cooperation in the future.

 Prof. Peiming Lu, Executive Vice President of Tongji University, addressed at the opening ceremony

 Prof. Josef Eberhardsteiner, Vice Rector of TU Wien, addressed at the opening ceremony

 Prof. Herbert Mang from TU Wien and Tongji University addressed at the opening ceremony

Prof. Ying Zhou thanked all the distinguished guests and scholars for their support for the cooperation between the College of Civil Engineering of Tongji University and the Institute for Mechanics of Materials and Structures of TU Wien. She paid tribute to Prof. Yong Yuan and Prof. Herbert Mang for their unremitting efforts on promoting the internationalization of the College of Civil Engineering during the past 17 years. In addition, Prof. Ying Zhou expressed her expectation to continuously promote practical cooperation in the field of civil engineering between China and Austria.

 Prof. Ying Zhou, Dean of the College of Civil Engineering, chaired the opening ceremony

The symposium lasted for two days. The topics included 'multi-scale model', 'multi-field analysis', 'experiment and analysis of complex structures', 'data-driven analysis' and many other aspects. 20 experts from 15 world-famous institutions contributed to the excellent lectures of the symposium. Among them include Prof. Jun-Zhi Cui, member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), Prof. Yeong-Bin Yang, member of CAE, Prof. Christian Hellmich, member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Prof. Günther Meschke, Academician of the German Academy of Sciences, Professor Robert Galler, President of ITA-Council of Education and Training. About 140 teachers and students from TU Wien, Austria, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, Linnaeus University, Sweden, MIT-Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US, Tongji University, Chongqing University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, etc. attended the symposium. Some key scientific issues, engineering issues, and technical issues were discussed in depth. This resulted in many innovative ideas.  

This symposium was held on the occasion of the 50^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Austria as well as the 40th anniversary of the collaboration of Prof. Herbert Mang, TU Wien, Austria, with research institutions from China, in general, and with the Department of Geotechnical Engineering of Tongji University, in particular. The long-standing cooperation in the field of Civil Engineering Sciences between TU Wien and Tongji University also includes interdisciplinary research based on experimental and theoretical methods taken from mechanics, physics, mathematics, biology, mechanical engineering, computer science, geomatics engineering, environmental engineering, etc.

 Prof. Yuan Yong chaired a scientific session

 Photo of part of the participants of the symposium