On November 22, 2025, at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Young Scientists Association (AYSA) Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Final, three outstanding graduate students from the College of Materials Science and Engineering, Yu Chen, Lan He, and Xiaotong Li, earned Third Prize among 38 exceptional early-career researchers from 16 institutions across 9 countries. Their remarkable performance not only demonstrated the academic strength and global competitiveness of our students, but also highlighted the impact of their research, spanning bio-based innovations in water harvesting, advancements in wood functionalization, and furfural-derived photoinitiators for sustainable additive manufacturing.
Final Winners |
Topics |
Supervisors |
Yu Chen |
Cellulose-Based Atmospheric Water Harvesters |
Prof. Cheng Wanli and Prof. Han Guangping |
Lan He |
Dynamics of the Piano Strung Back Assembly: Coupling Mechanisms and Dynamic Response |
Prof. Liu Zhenbo |
Xiaotong Li |
Furfural Carbon Dots Photoinitiator |
Prof. Chen Zhijun |
Earlier this year, on October 21, 2025, the College successfully hosted the local 3MT Selection Competition to select outstanding forestry students for the AYSA 3MT Final. The event received an enthusiastic response, with 68 master’s and doctoral candidates participating and presenting on topics such as bio-based materials, bioenergy, and wood-derived functional materials. Their strong engagement showcased our students’ passion for research and excellence in academic communication.
We look forward to seeing even more students take part in next year’s 3MT Competition and continue this spirit of excellence, innovation, and global engagement！
The award certificates and proud moments of Yu Chen, Lan He, and Xiaotong Li in the AYSA 3MT Final hosted by The University of British Columbia
Highlights from the NEFU local 3MT selection competition (Yu Chen, Lan He, Xiaotong Li, Linlin Zhao, Yinghui Liu, Guangying Li, Mengqi Zhu)
