On 28th July 2025, the President of the Institute of Corrosion (ICorr), Dr. Yunnan Gao, and the President of the European Federation of Corrosion (EFC), Professor Gareth Hinds, visited Northeastern University (NEU) in Shenyang, China, as part of a collaborative engagement tour with leading Chinese academic institutions in the field of corrosion science and engineering.
L: EFC President, Professor Gareth Hinds; R: ICorr President Dr Yunnan Gao, during Their Visit to NEU, Shenyang
During the NEU visit, Dr. Gao delivered a presentation introducing ICorr’s mission, global activities, and contributions to advancing corrosion science, followed by a technical lecture on corrosion management in oil and gas production facilities. Professor Hinds then introduced the EFC, outlining its international collaboration framework and key initiatives, and delivered a technical presentation focusing on cutting-edge developments in corrosion rate measurement of pipeline steel in dense phase CO2.
ICorr President Giving An Introduction of ICorr to Faculty and Students at NEU, Shenyang
Following the presentations, the delegation toured NEU’s advanced corrosion laboratories, gaining an in-depth view of the university’s research infrastructure, experimental capabilities, and achievements in materials protection and degradation studies. Both leaders commended NEU’s strong academic foundation, innovative approaches, and its active role in international cooperation.
The NEU Visit Was Facilitated by Professor Dake Xu, FICorr, 2nd Right, and Associate Professor Di Wang, 2nd Left of NEU.
On 4th August 2025, Dr. Gao and Professor Hinds visited the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), a leading institution in global corrosion research with close links to the Chinese Society of Corrosion Protection (CSCP). The visit featured the same core agenda as the NEU visit: introductory and technical presentations from both Presidents, followed by in-depth exchanges with faculty and students.
The USTB Visit Was Facilitated by Professor Xuequn Cheng, (FICorr, General Secretary of CSCP), 2nd Left, and Professor Bowei Zhang, Secretary of CSCP, 2nd Right, of the USTB.
ICorr President Giving A Technical Presentation to the USTB Audience
During the last stage of the visit, the delegation toured USTB’s world-class National Materials Corrosion and Protection Data Centre, which serves as a national digital hub for corrosion data collection, sharing, and application in industrial sectors.
USTB Academics Showcase the Digital Hub at the National Materials Corrosion and Protection Data Centre
The mainstream media in China, such as China Daily, China News, Guangming Online, ScienceNet and Science and Technology Daily, all covered the visit, highlighting it as a milestone in international academic exchange, with both sides expressing strong interest in long-term collaboration, joint research projects, and personnel development in corrosion science and engineering. The coverage also emphasised how the visit underscored China’s growing role in global corrosion research and the value of integrating domestic capabilities with international networks such as ICorr and the EFC.
The visits to NEU and USTB further cemented ties between ICorr, EFC, CSCP and China’s leading corrosion research institutions, opening new avenues for collaboration in addressing global challenges in materials durability, infrastructure resilience, and industrial sustainability.
