In order to deepen the cultivation of top-notch innovative talents and broaden students' professional academic horizons, on the afternoon of November 18, 2025, students from the "Wu Chung-hua Elite Class" of the School of Energy and Mechanical Engineering at Nanjing Normal University, led by Dean and Head Teacher Professor Yang Hongmin, visited the CAS Nanjing Institute of Future Energy Systems. There, they carried out an immersive learning practice activity integrating platform visits, technical exchanges, and frontier lectures. Through on-site visits, frontier lectures, and in-depth exchanges, the students observed and learned about the research direction and capabilities of their joint training unit—the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics (IET) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences—in the field of advanced energy power at close range. Zhou Changsong, Head of the Department of Energy and Power Engineering, along with other faculty members and graduate students jointly trained by NNU and the IET, also participated in this activity.

That afternoon, accompanied by Zhou Xuezhi, Vice Dean of the Institute, and scientific and technical personnel, the students first visited the 100MW-class advanced compressed air energy storage (CAES) integrated test platform, which marks a major breakthrough in China's long-duration, large-scale physical energy storage technology. The faculty and students learned in detail about its working principle of "storing energy during off-peak hours and generating power during peak hours," as well as key technological breakthroughs such as system optimization design and high-efficiency thermal storage exchangers. As a clean and pollution-free energy storage solution, this technology can achieve power system peak shaving and frequency regulation, yielding significant annual emission reduction benefits. Subsequently, the group moved to the advanced compressed air energy storage technology exhibition hall. Through informational display boards, physical models, and interactive demonstrations, they systematically understood the Institute's R&D achievements and industrial layout in fields such as energy storage technology, carbon neutrality technology, and fuel cells, forming a panoramic understanding of the development history and future direction of energy technology.

The core segment of the activity consisted of four high-level thematic academic reports, where four experts from the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics presented a feast of frontier technology to the faculty and students. Researcher Zhou Xuezhi, Vice Dean of the CAS Nanjing Institute of Future Energy Systems, spoke on the topic of "R&D and Industrialization of Advanced Compressed Air Energy Storage," deeply analyzing the key path of this technology from the laboratory to engineering application and sharing the construction experience and industrial development prospects of national demonstration projects. Researcher Chen Lin focused on "Cold and Heat Management Based on Carbon Dioxide Medium and New Carbon Neutrality Technologies," combining CCUS technology development trends to expound on the important value of carbon dioxide resource utilization in achieving carbon neutrality goals. Researcher Liu Yu presented on "Research Progress of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells," reporting on innovative breakthroughs in high-efficiency energy conversion technology for solid fuel cells. Associate Researcher Xu Qingzong focused on "Aerothermodynamics of Gas Turbine Power Equipment," providing an in-depth analysis of the technical principles and R&D difficulties of core power equipment.

The atmosphere at the report session was enthusiastic, and the students were intellectually active, asking eager questions based on the report content and their own studies. Everyone conducted in-depth interactive exchanges with the experts regarding technical economics, engineering challenges, and future development directions, demonstrating the excellent qualities of the "Wu Chung-hua Elite Class" students, who are diligent in thinking and adept at exploration. Xia Wanli, an outstanding graduate of the NNU joint training program who is currently pursuing a doctoral degree at the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, also shared his own academic experiences, encouraging his juniors to lay a solid foundation and pursue excellence.

At the end of the activity, Yang Hongmin, Dean of the School of Energy and Mechanical Engineering at Nanjing Normal University, delivered a concluding speech. Dean Yang first expressed his heartfelt thanks to the Institute for the valuable learning opportunity and to the experts for their generous sharing of knowledge. Dean Yang pointed out that this practical activity is an important measure for the School to deepen the integration of science and education, and a vivid embodiment of the "Wu Chung-hua Spirit" moving from the classroom to practice. As a carrier for cultivating top-notch talents in the School of Energy, the "Wu Chung-hua Elite Class" has always adhered to the "Theory + Practice" training model. In the future, the School will continue to strengthen cooperation with research institutes and leading enterprises to build more platforms for students to access the frontier and hone their skills. Dean Yang encouraged all students to establish the ambition to "reach for the sky" by bravely climbing the peaks of science and technology, while practicing the skill of "standing on solid ground" by focusing on engineering practice, striving to grow into pillars supporting the development of the national energy cause.

This learning practice activity not only opened a window to the frontiers of energy science and technology for the students of the "Wu Chung-hua Elite Class," but also planted the seeds of dedication to innovation and service to the country in their hearts. The students widely expressed that this activity greatly stimulated their professional interest and sense of mission. In the future, they will study hard and contribute their youthful strength to China's "Dual Carbon" goals and the energy cause.