From 18 to 20 December, 2019, the 9th Asia-Pacific Young Researchers and Graduates Symposium (YRGS 2019) was successfully held in Tongji University.

This symposium was hosted by College of Civil Engineering, Tongji University, with the theme of “Performance Evolution and Control for Engineering Structures”. Dr. Qianqian Yu, the co-chair of the symposium, chaired the opening ceremony. Prof. Xianglin Gu, vice president of Tongji University, delivered a welcome speech to all the participants. Prof. Jianguo Dai from Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Vice-Chairman of International Institute for FRP in Construction (IIFC), delivered opening speech. Five scholars, Prof. Hiroshi Yokota from Hokkaido University, Chairman of the Asian Concrete Federation (ACF), Prof. Jiansheng Fan, distinguished scholar from Tsinghua University, Prof. Jianguo Dai from Hong Kong Polytechnic University,  Vice Chairman of the International FRP Civil Engineering Society (IIFC), Prof. Tinghua Yi, distinguished scholar from Dalian University of Technology (represented by Prof. Guangdong Zhou from Hohai University), and Prof. Changhai Zhai, distinguished scholar from Harbin Institute of Technology (represented by Prof. Weiping Wen from Harbin Institute of Technology), gave lectures in the symposium. More than 90 young scholars, PhD candidates and graduate students from various universities and research institutes in China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, India, and U. S. participated in the event. Prof. Yongbo Peng, the co-chair of this symposium, chaired the closing ceremony, during which Prof. Jianbing Chen, the distinguished scholar and the co-chair of the symposium, presented awards to 8 students who won the 'Best Student Presentation Award'.

The symposium thoroughly discussed the new developments and challenges in the theory and applications of performance evolution and control for engineering structures. Participants unanimously agreed that this symposium promoted close exchanges between young scholars and graduate students from various universities and research institutes at home and abroad, and provided a significant platform for international cooperative research. The YRGS International Executive Committee announced that the 10th Asia-Pacific Young Scholars and Graduates Symposium will be held in Australia in 2021.

This symposium is one of the activities for the 105th anniversary of Civil Engineering Discipline of Tongji University. Prof. Huanjun Jiang, vice dean of CCE, Prof. Jianzhuang Xiao, head of the Department of Structural Engineering, Prof. Suwen Chen, deputy head of the Department of Structural Engineering, also attended the symposium.