Establishing a Platform for Young Technical Exchange in Chemical Geology — The Bureau (Group)’s Ninth Youth Academic Exchange Conference Held in Hohhot

In accordance with the deployment requirements of the CPC Committee of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission regarding youth innovation and value‑creation initiatives, and in line with the relevant arrangements set forth in the Implementation Plan of the CPC Committee of the China National Bureau of Coal Geology for launching youth innovation and value‑creation activities, the Bureau (Group) further strengthened complementary partnerships with industry enterprises and deepened academic exchanges among young technical professionals. From June 26 to 28, the Bureau convened the Ninth Youth Academic Exchange Conference in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, bringing together leading enterprises, distinguished experts and scholars, and young technical personnel from the chemical industry to discuss cutting‑edge developments and the future of the sector.

Industry Leaders Gather to Discuss the Future

The conference was hosted by the China Chemical Geology And Mining Bureau, co-organized by the Youth Working Committee of the Geological Society of China, the China Chemical Mining Association, and the Communist Youth League Committee of the China Chemical Geology And Mining Bureau, and undertaken by the Inner Mongolia Geological Exploration Institute of the China Chemical Geology And Mining Bureau. Its theme was “Harnessing talent as the bow and science and technology as the arrow to build momentum and empower high-quality development.” The event invited approximately 100 participants from 25 organizations, including state-owned enterprises such as SDIC Xinjiang Lop Nur Potash Co., Ltd., Qinghai Salt Lake Industry Co., Ltd., Hubei Yihua Group, Zhonglan Changhua Engineering Technology Co., Ltd., Tongling Chemical Group, Hubei Sanning Mining Co., Ltd., and Hebei Fanshan Phosphate Mine Co., Ltd., as well as units within the Bureau’s (Group’s) system. Jiao Sen, a member of the Bureau’s (Group’s) Party Committee and Chief Engineer, attended the conference on behalf of the Bureau’s (Group’s) Party Committee and leadership team, delivered a welcoming address, extended a warm welcome to the guests and young scientific and technological professionals present, and called on the Bureau’s (Group’s) young scientists and engineers to take this academic exchange as an opportunity to strengthen learning and research, engage in thorough communication and collaboration, promote interdisciplinary integration, and leverage each other’s strengths. He also urged all scientific and technological personnel across the Bureau’s (Group’s) system and mining enterprises to think more, practice more, innovate more, and deliver more results, thereby enhancing their professional capabilities and core competitiveness through cross-sectoral exchanges, mutual learning, and complementary advantages, facilitating the transition from old to new growth drivers, and achieving high-quality development in the industry. Furthermore, he expressed his hope to establish mechanisms for communication and cooperation with industry partners, jointly promoting the high-quality development of the chemical industry.

A gathering of experts, a fusion of ideas.

This conference specially invited five industry experts to deliver lectures, including Wu Liwen from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Institute of Geological Survey, Song Xianzhu from the China Computer Users Association, Zhou Haidong from the Economic Research Institute of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Huang Fan from the Institute of Mineral Resources of the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, and Wang Fan, chief expert of the China Chemical Geology And Mining Bureau. They provided professional presentations on topics such as the construction and progress of resource bases under the new round of strategic actions for mineral exploration breakthroughs, industrial digital transformation, development trends and relevant policies in the geological exploration sector, the achievements and applications of the “China Mineral Geology Compendium,” and the scientific issues and methodologies in potash exploration research. These sessions facilitated multi‑perspective, in‑depth exchanges on the development of the geological exploration industry and technological innovation, offering participating young technical personnel valuable insights and guidance on work approaches and innovative directions. Through dialogue and interaction, ideas were sparked, and consensus was built.

Four Special Sessions: A Battle of Minds

The conference featured four specialized sessions—mineral geology, ecological geology, engineering geology, and mining geology—organized according to research focus. A total of 49 papers by outstanding young technical professionals from units affiliated with the Bureau (Group) and from mining enterprises were presented at the academic exchange. The participating young scientists and engineers shared their latest research findings and engaged in in-depth discussions on various aspects, including the selection of research topics, the formulation of scientific questions, the presentation of research results, and the structure of oral presentations. Following deliberation by the Academic Committee, two papers were awarded the Special Prize, seven received First Prize, and eight were granted Second Prize. This scholarly dialogue among young researchers not only provided mining enterprises with valuable insights into the Bureau’s technological innovations and its capacity to support mining operations, but also helped chart the course for the Bureau (Group)’s future research priorities and technological advancements.

On-site learning and experience sharing

Following the academic exchange, the participants visited the Heidaigou Coal Mine of Guoneng Zhuneng Group Co., Ltd. to observe and learn. They attentively listened to the staff’s briefing and engaged in discussions on technical issues related to mining operations and ecological restoration in mining areas. The attendees unanimously expressed that this opportunity had enabled them to gain valuable insights from leading companies in the industry, providing useful references and inspiration for their own work.

During the conference, the Bureau (Group) held separate thematic symposiums with Hubei Xingfa Group and Inner Mongolia Wanchuang Industrial Group, reaching consensus on advancing further, in-depth cooperation.

This academic exchange has broadened the research horizons of professionals in chemical geology, strengthened business ties and technical collaboration between the Bureau (Group) and mining enterprises, and provided an excellent platform for young scientists and engineers in the chemical geology sector. We are confident that, by continuously leveraging the complementary strengths of our Bureau and mining companies and deepening academic exchanges among young professionals, we will jointly forge a bright future for the chemical industry.