The 12th Chengyao Young Scholars Forum of Nanjing University, the sub-Forum of the School of Atmospheric Sciences was held from December 26 to 27, 2024, at the School of Atmospheric Sciences (SAS). The event brought together 15 young scholars from prestigious institutions worldwide, including MIT, Harvard University, University of Chicago, Duke University, University of Washington, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), University of Reading (UK), Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, alongside SAS administrators, talent recruitment committee members, and faculty representatives.
Shiyao Lin, Secretary of the CPC Committee of SAS, delivered a welcome address, outlining Nanjing University's talent recruitment policies and the school's research ecosystem and developmental milestones. He encouraged the young scholars to take the opportunity to present cutting-edge research, and exchanged views and perspectives around the session themes.
The forum comprised four thematic sessions:
1. Global Change & Extreme Events (chaired by Prof. Yang Zhang): Featuring reports on precipitation patterns under global warming, El Niño variability, and extreme weather-climate interactions.
2. Polar & Aerosol Dynamics (chaired by Assoc. Prof. Jianfeng Gu): Discussions spanned Arctic thermohaline staircase mechanisms, dust-aerosol characteristics, and cloud-aerosol interactions.
3. Geophysical Fluid Dynamics & AI Applications (chaired by Prof. Bowen Zhou): Presentations addressed geophysical fluid mechanics, data assimilation, AI applications in atmospheric studies, and land-atmosphere coupling.
4. Atmospheric Physics & Modeling (chaired by Assoc. Prof. Tengy Liu): Focused on atmospheric aerosols, autumn wildfire meteorology, radiation studies, and low-cloud parameterization.
The forum yielded vibrant interdisciplinary exchanges, with young scholars and faculty engaging in lively debates on academic frontiers and disciplinary hotspots, showcasing innovative perspectives. Following the academic program, Secretary Lin led a guided tour of the school's history museum, illustrating the century-long evolution of atmospheric sciences education and research.
This gathering reinforced international academic networks while advancing cross-disciplinary dialogue, further cementing the school's commitment to cultivating next-generation leaders in atmospheric sciences.