From August 12–20, 2026, the Institute of Chemical Engineering at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (IChE-BAS) welcomed scientists from the School of Mechanical Engineering at Southwest Jiaotong University in Chengdu, China.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nan Zhang and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zhaoli Zhang visited the institute as part of a joint scientific project for bilateral cooperation between Bulgaria and China (KP-06-China/4, dated December 16, 2024) on the topic “High-performance solar thermal systems integrated with engineered phase change materials,” with the team from the “Transfer Processes in Multiphase Media” Laboratory, led by Prof. Dr. Daniela Dzhonova-Atanasova, and colleagues from the Central Laboratory of Solar Energy and New Energy Sources (CL SENES) - BAS. This was the first visit by the two Chinese scientists to Bulgaria.
During the visit, the guests were introduced to the research activities of the IChE- BAS and CL SENES- BAS and toured laboratories where they had the opportunity to examine prototypes and experimental setups developed by the Bulgarian research team.
A key focus of the program was scientific exchange and the discussion of opportunities for future collaboration. Assoc. Prof. Zhaoli Zhang from Southwest Jiaotong University delivered a lecture titled “Phase Change Solar Thermal Energy Storage: From Engineering Material to Device and Building Application,” which sparked discussion and an exchange of ideas among researchers from both scientific institutions.
The visit also included an opportunity for the Chinese scientists to learn about Bulgaria’s cultural and natural heritage.
The guests expressed their positive impressions of Bulgaria and their desire for future visits and continued scientific exchange.
