Nanjing University Suzhou Campus, 14-17 July 2026

The InterPore China Chapter Annual Conference was held at Nanjing University’s Suzhou Campus from July 14–17 2026, bringing together over 300 experts from seven countries. The conference was organized by the Center for Sustainable Subsurface Energy and co-hosted by the School of Sustainable Energy and Resources at Nanjing University and InterPore China Chapter, delivering a vibrant program of 30 plenary lectures, 4 thematic sessions, and 65 poster presentations.

Conference chair Prof. Xudong Jing at Nanjing University, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, delivering opening speech.

Distinguished guests (left to right): Prof. Moran Wang, Prof. Jun Yao, Prof. Majid Hassanizadeh, Prof. Xudong Jing, Mr. Gongliang Gu.

The conference addressed a critical challenge: translating pore-scale mechanisms into field-scale decision making. Two interconnected threads weave through the program. The first focused on fundamental characterizations, featuring talks by Prof. Martin Blunt, FRS (Imperial College) and InterPore China Chair Prof. Moran Wang (Tsinghua University), who among others, who, collectively advance research in X‑ray imaging, NMR, and nonlinear transport in nanopores. The second thread integrated these insights into practical applications, with contributions from academicians CHEN Zhangxing (Eastern Institute of Technology), Abbas Firoozabadi (Rice University), and InterPore co-founder and Managing Director Majid Hassanizadeh on CO₂ sequestration, hydrogen storage, AI‑driven reservoir management, and gas leakage to the environment.

Distinguished keynote speakers: Prof. Martin Blunt, Dr. Fujie Sun, Prof. Majid Hassanizadeh, Prof. Moran Wang, Prof. William R. Rossen, Prof. Yiqiao Song.

Two dedicated panel discussions shed lights on upscaling challenges in porous media research and career development. Before the meeting, a short course on physics of multiphase flow in porous media was taught to early‑career researchers by Prof. Martin Blunt. The poster session, featuring 65 submissions, provided a venue for academic exchange and recognition of the state-of-the-art research.

Panel discussion 1: Challenges in upscaling for porous media study. From left to right: Ke Xu (Chair), Martin Blunt, Shuyu Sun, Xiaolong Yin, Bowen Ling, Hang Deng.

Panel discussion 2: Career development in porous media. From left to right: Zhaoyang Ma (Chair), Moran Wang, Ivor Ellul, Xudong Jing, Cunqi Jia, Guanglei Zhang.

Snapshots of poster sessions discussions.

Best poster awards ceremony.

Despite a two‑day delay of the conference due to typhoon conditions, the organizing committee, led by Nanjing University and supported by five co‑organizers, ensured seamless delivery. Visits of conference attendees to local R&D platforms were organized in order to further bridge academia and industry.

This year’s conference not only showcased cutting-edge porous media research but also reinforced international collaboration and talent development. It established an innovation chain – from fundamentals and advanced characterizations to field applications, in support of a low‑carbon and sustainable subsurface energy development.
 

Conference organizing committee with student volunteers at the closing ceremony.