The Sino-Belgian International Symposium on Sustainable Constructions was held online  on September 13^th and 14^th, 2021. The event was initiated by Prof. Yong Yuan and Prof. Luc Taerwe from the College of Civil Engineering of Tongji University. It was jointly organized by the College of Civil Engineering of Tongji University, the Department of Structural Engineering and Building Materials of Ghent University, the Belgium-China Joint Laboratory for Industrialized Construction, and the China Platform of Ghent University. Representatives from the College of Civil Engineering include Prof. Huanjun Jiang, Vice Dean of the College, Prof. Yong Yuan, Prof. Bin Zhao, Prof. Suwen Chen, Prof. Jianzhuang Xiao, Prof. Zengfeng Zhao, and Dr. Jiaolong Zhang.

The opening ceremony was chaired by Prof. Huanjun Jiang. Prof. Peiming Lu, Executive Vice President of Tongji University, Prof. Rik Van de Walle, Rector of Ghent University, Ms. Xiaolin Guo, Counsellor for Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Chinese Embassy in Belgium, and Prof. Luc Taerwe, high-end expert of the College, attended the ceremony and gave welcome addresses. They praised the substantial outcomes of scientific and educational cooperation between China and Belgium in the past 50 years. They spoke highly of the long-standing cooperation between Ghent University and Tongji University. They are very looking forward to wider and deeper cooperation of science and technology in the future.

The symposium lasted for two days and covered a wide range of research topics, including building materials, engineering structural systems, advanced methods for computation and analysis, and sustainable construction technology, etc. On September 13^th, 12 professors from both countries delivered academic speeches. The topics included seismic resistance of underground structures, reliability of innovative forms of tunnel structures, the durability of self-healing concrete, and the properties of advanced building materials. A total of 13 presentations were given by experts and researchers on September 14^th. The focus of the presentations was on cutting-edge knowledge of underground engineering, i.e., the application of multiscale models on tunnels and the potential of 3D printing concrete technology in underground construction.

This symposium represented an academic activity, dedicated to the 50^th anniversary of the diplomatic relation between China and Belgium as well as to the 15^th anniversary of the China Platform of Ghent University. The symposium attracted over 50 participants from Ghent University, Tongji University, Central South University, Southeast University,Xi’an Jiaotong University, Shanghai Construction Group, and Jiangxi Transportation Research Institute.

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

Prof. Luc Taerwe, Member of Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium, addressed at the symposium

Prof. Yong Yuan chaired a scientific session of the symposium