From October 25 to 29, 2024, the 14th A3 International Symposium on New Materials among China, Japan, and South Korea (hereinafter referred to as the "A3 Conference") was successfully held in Jincheng City, Shanxi Province. The conference was hosted by the Department of Chemical Engineering at Tsinghua University, with co-organization by the Administrative Committee of Jincheng Economic and Technological Development Zone and the Jincheng Institute of Optoelectronic Materials. This year's conference featured 45 invited presentations from both domestic and international experts, with approximately 200 participants in attendance.

The "A3 Conference" is hosted in rotation by China, Japan, and South Korea, held annually with an equal number of invited presentations from each country. The "A3 Conference" is an international academic conference in the field of new materials, focusing on fundamental research, preparation techniques, and characterization methods of various nanomaterials and novel two-dimensional and three-dimensional materials. It also explores the applications and prospects of nanomaterials in fields such as electronics, energy, and the environment. The conference was co-initiated by Sumio Iijima, discoverer of carbon nanotubes, member of the Japan Academy, and foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; Lee Young-hee, foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and professor at Sungkyunkwan University; Xie Sishen, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and researcher at the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences; and Fan Shoushan, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and professor at Tsinghua University. The permanent chairs of the conference are Professor Wei Fei from Tsinghua University, Professor Lee Young-hee from Sungkyunkwan University, and Professor Matsuda Kazunari from Kyoto University.

During the conference, Professor Xu Ming shared an academic presentation and the latest research progress of his research group in the field of underwater sensing. Members of the research group also engaged in in-depth discussions with scholars from other countries on their respective research directions, exchanging many valuable academic perspectives. During the conference, Professor Xu Ming also interacted with several peers from Japan and South Korea, exploring the potential for collaboration among China, Japan, and South Korea in the field of new materials. Consensus was reached on material innovation, industrial applications, and future collaborative directions. Professor Xu emphasized that international academic exchanges are of great significance for promoting scientific innovation and enhancing global competitiveness. He expressed hope for future transnational collaborations on more projects to advance the shared progress of new materials technology.