2026 Annual Youth Academic Forum on Geotechnical Engineering of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Concludes Successfully in Foshan

On August 29, 2026, the "2026 Annual Youth Academic Forum on Geotechnical Engineering of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area" came to a successful close in Foshan, Guangdong.The "2026 9th International Conference on Structural Engineering and Industrial Architecture" (ICSEIA 2026) , held as a parallel session, was jointly convened with the forum. The event was hosted by the Guangdong Society of Rock Mechanics and Engineering and its Youth Work Committee, and organized by the School of Civil and Transportation Engineering at Foshan University. It received co-organizational support from multiple institutions, including the Geotechnical Division of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, the Macau Geotechnical Engineering Association, the School of Civil and Transportation Engineering at Shenzhen University, the State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Construction and Maintenance of Extreme Environment Geotechnics and Tunnel Engineering (Shenzhen University), Guangzhou Design Institute Group Co., Ltd., Guangdong Zhiyun Engineering Technology Co., Ltd., XTOP 3D Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd., and Jiahua Geoscience (Wuhan) Digital Technology Co., Ltd. Aischolar provided full technical support and conference services throughout the event. Under the theme "AI Empowering Low-Carbon Geotechnics and Urban Renewal Construction," the forum brought together over 200 expert scholars and youth representatives from universities, research institutes, and enterprises across the Greater Bay Area and other parts of China to discuss cutting-edge developments in geotechnical engineering.

**Tripartite Collaboration to Build a Youth Exchange Platform**

The forum's opening ceremony was held on the morning of August 29. Delivering speeches were **Feijian Zhong**, Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of Foshan University; **Guanghua Yang**, Chairman of the Guangdong Society of Rock Mechanics and Engineering; **Jinming Lin**, Chairman of the Geotechnical Division of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers; **Guangpei Yang**, Vice Chairman of the Macau Geotechnical Engineering Association; and **Dong Su**, Vice Chairman of the Guangdong Society of Rock Mechanics and Engineering and Director of its Youth Work Committee.

On behalf of the host institution, Feijian Zhong extended a warm welcome to all attendees, noting that the forum's theme closely aligns with the nation's "15th Five-Year Plan" and industry demands, and represents an important practice for the university in serving the Greater Bay Area's development. Chairman Guanghua Yang emphasized that the forum is an academic gathering where young geotechnical professionals from Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau "take center stage," encouraging young participants to "dare to act and dare to explore," and to make their voices heard in the geotechnical field within the Bay Area's development. Chairman Jinming Lin noted that the Geotechnical Division of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers had organized over 30 youth representatives to attend, looking forward to mutual learning and deepened cooperation through exchanges. Vice Chairman Guangpei Yang pointed out that areas such as AI, big data, and intelligent construction of underground spaces are precisely the urgent needs in Macau's current engineering practices, and that the forum's theme responds to the tangible demands of high-quality Bay Area development. Director Dong Su reviewed the forum's development journey from Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Zhuhai to Foshan, emphasizing that the Youth Work Committee has always been committed to "building a stage for young geotechnical professionals."

The opening ceremony was moderated by Xinhua Yang, Academic Dean of the School of Civil and Transportation Engineering at Foshan University. Numerous distinguished guests from Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau, along with members of the 8th Youth Work Committee, attended the ceremony.

**Cutting-Edge Focus and Rich Presentation Program**

The forum facilitated in-depth exchanges across five major themes: AI and big data applications, low-carbon geotechnical materials, intelligent construction of underground spaces, urban infrastructure resilience, and underground space development in the Greater Bay Area. During the invited keynote session, Professor **Guanghua Yang** from the Guangdong Research Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower, Professor **Zhenyu Yin** from Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Professor **Xiangqiu Wang** from Foshan University, Professor **Huanchun Zhu** from Jiahua Geoscience (Wuhan) Digital Technology Co., Ltd., and Professor **Dong Su** from Shenzhen University delivered insightful presentations on topics including reflections on soil constitutive models, AI-driven smart city foundations, deformation characteristics of soft-soil tunnels, AI technology systems in geotechnical engineering, and risk control for sea-crossing shield tunnels.

In the thematic presentation sessions, experts and scholars from institutions including Shantou University, Arup (Hong Kong), Shenzhen University, CCCC Second Highway Engineering Co., Ltd., Sun Yat-sen University, the Hong Kong Civil Engineering and Development Department, the Macau Public Works Bureau, Guangdong Provincial Transportation Planning and Design Institute, CCCC Fourth Harbor Engineering Institute, and Guangzhou Municipal Engineering Group engaged in deep discussions on topics such as shield tunneling in water-rich karst conditions, climate-change-induced landslide risks, mechanized construction of plateau tunnels, BIM applications in landslide mitigation, Macau's rail transit planning, intelligent monitoring of composite prefabricated stations, marine suction caisson foundations, and vacuum preloading drainage mechanisms. These discussions fully demonstrated the deep integration of industry, academia, research, and application, as well as practical innovation in geotechnical engineering across the three regions.

**Work Meeting Convened and Handover of Next Hosting Rights**

On the evening of August 28, the work meeting of the Guangdong Society of Rock Mechanics and Engineering's Youth Work Committee was held at the conference room of Guangdong Zhiyun Engineering Technology Co., Ltd. The meeting summarized the committee's annual work and discussed future plans. Through deliberation and voting, it was officially decided that the **2027 Annual Youth Academic Forum on Geotechnical Engineering of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area** will be hosted by the School of Civil and Transportation Engineering at Guangzhou University. At the closing ceremony on the afternoon of August 29, Professor **Yang Wu**, Associate Dean of the School of Civil and Transportation Engineering at Guangzhou University, delivered a speech on behalf of the next host institution. He stated that 2027 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of Guangzhou University, and that the university will make every effort to prepare for the forum, take over the baton, and strive to build an even broader exchange platform for geotechnical youth in the Bay Area. He sincerely invited colleagues from the three regions to gather in Guangzhou next year to continue academic friendships.

**Learning Through Competition, Showcasing Youthful Energy**

As an important component of the forum, the 2026 Greater Bay Area Geotechnical Engineering Youth Academic Forum Postgraduate Research Presentation Competition was held on August 28 at Foshan University's Xianxi Campus. A total of 27 postgraduate students from universities and research institutions including Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen University, Hainan University, Guangdong University of Technology, Foshan University, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Guangzhou University participated. The competition was divided into two groups, with participants delivering excellent presentations on their respective research topics, fully demonstrating the academic vitality and research potential of young geotechnical professionals in the Bay Area. An awards ceremony was held during the closing ceremony on the afternoon of August 29, presenting certificates to the first, second, and third prize winners. Additionally, the **2026 9th International Conference on Structural Engineering and Industrial Architecture (ICSEIA 2026)** , held as a parallel session, featured oral presentation segments where Outstanding Oral Presentation Awards were also presented.

**Bay Area Collaboration, A New Chapter Begins**

This forum was not only a collision of academic ideas but also a bond for deepening friendships and expanding cooperation among young geotechnical professionals from the three regions. The successful holding of the forum further strengthened the academic exchange and collaborative innovation mechanisms in the field of geotechnical engineering within the Greater Bay Area. With the smooth handover of hosting rights for the next session, this youth academic brand will continue to inject fresh vitality into the geotechnical endeavors of the Bay Area. We look forward to leveraging the forum platform to promote deeper cooperation among universities, research institutions, and enterprises across the three regions, jointly contributing geotechnical wisdom and youthful energy to major national engineering projects and high-quality industry development.