The Ocean Engineering Society of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) decided to grant HNU the right to host the 2026 International Ocean Science and Technology Conference (OCEANS 2026), and authorized professor Shen Yijun, Dean of School of Marine Science and Engineering, to be the Chairman of the Conference. It is the first time that Hainan University won the bid to host the globally top oceanographic academic conference, and HNU is the second academic institution in the Chinese Mainland to host this conference after Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

At the invitation of the National University of Singapore, a delegation led by Professor Shen (to-be Chairman of the OCEANS 2026) participated in the OCEANS2024 held from April 14 to 18, 2024, at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore, and promoted Hainan University and the OCEANS 2026 on the conference site. On the sideline of the conference, the HNU delegation held talks with its counterparts from the National University of Singapore, the National Biological Resource Centre of Singapore (BRC), St John’s Island National Marine Laboratory of Singapore (SJINML), the University of Tokyo, the National Taiwan University, Khalifa University in the United Arab Emirates, as well as representatives from the Ocean Engineering Society and the International Ocean Technology Society of IEEE, reaching a number of preliminary cooperation agreements.

OCEANS, one of the globally largest academic conferences/exhibitions on marine science and technology, is jointly organized by the Ocean Engineering Society and the International Ocean Technology Society of IEEE, covering the fields of marine science and marine engineering technology, and an exhibition of marine equipment technology. Since its inception, OCEANS has been an important platform for marine scientific research, technical exchanges, and industry cooperation. The successful bid to host OCEANS 2026 will further enhance the international influence of Hainan University and China's marine science academia as well, meaning that Hainan will witness an unprecedented international academic event.

The successful bidding of this conference is attributed to the strong support from the Science and Technology Department of Hainan Province and the Administration of Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City. The holding of the OCEANS 2026 will provide a global platform for domestic and international researchers, engineers, and front-runners in industries to conduct academic exchanges, and showcase their latest scientific research achievements. This event will be significant in that it opens up a new horizon for the innovative efforts for deep-sea science and technology development in Hainan, and even the whole country.

Source: People's Daily Digital Communication Network

Translated by Lin Zhiyi

Proofread by Chen Chuanxian, Yang Jie