On May 9, the 6th National Conference on Permafrost Engineering and Cold Region Environment was held in Chongqing. With the theme of "Engineering Resilience and Life Health in Extreme Environments," the conference linked permafrost research, engineering practice and other fields, and conducted in-depth discussions on key topics such as multi-physical field coupling and simulation of permafrost, promoting multidisciplinary integration of extreme-environment engineering with life health and other disciplines, and exploring new paths and providing new solutions for overcoming the challenges of construction, operation and maintenance of transportation infrastructure in extreme environments.

The conference was hosted by the China Cryosphere Science Association (in preparation) and the Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and jointly organized by Chongqing Jiaotong University, the State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Permafrost Engineering, the Permafrost and Cold Region Engineering Professional Committee of the Geographical Society of China, and other institutions. Over six consecutive years, the conference has continued to expand in scale and steadily increase its academic influence, and has now become one of the most dynamic academic exchange platforms in the field of permafrost engineering and cold region environment in China.

At the main venue, renowned experts and scholars in the field gathered to exchange insights and discuss the frontier. Professor Jiang Jianxin of the Army Medical University, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Professor Ling Xianchang of Harbin Institute of Technology, Professor Chen Jianxun of Chang'an University, and Professor Wang Qing of Jilin University delivered keynote reports on topics including "The Development History and Intelligent Transformation of China's Medical Rescue System," "Accurate Assessment and Targeted Prevention and Control Technology for Frost Damage of Railway Subgrades in Severe Cold Regions," and "Theory and Technology for the Prevention and Control of Frost Damage in Tunnels in Cold Regions," sharing the latest research results and practical experience. The sub-venues featured nine thematic sessions, focusing on directions such as "Geotechnical Mechanics and Permafrost Physics in Extreme Environments" and "Interaction Between Infrastructure and Environment in Cold Regions," and an exchange activity on open research projects of the State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Permafrost Engineering was held concurrently.

China's permafrost research began in the 1950s and has gone through four stages: start-up, development, leapfrog and deepening, always closely tied to the needs of major national engineering construction and ecological environmental protection. During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, the construction of national strategic corridors such as the major routes out of Xinjiang and into Tibet, the New Western Land-Sea Corridor, and the major waterways connecting rivers to the sea will continue to advance. As the "main arteries" of national defense preparedness, emergency rescue, energy security and economic security, these projects place higher demands on engineering resilience in extreme environments, ecological protection in cold regions, and life health safeguards. This conference not only inherits and deepens the achievements of the previous five conferences, but is also an important exploration based on major national needs and leading the academic frontier. It will further build industry consensus, pool scientific research strength, and inject strong momentum into the high-quality development of China's permafrost engineering and cold region environment field.

Source: Guangming Daily