On February 2, Gao Laiju, Party Secretary of the School of Energy and Mining Engineering, and Yang Shengli, Dean of the school, led a delegation to Shuozhou City, Shanxi Province, for a study and exchange visit aimed at deepening university-locality cooperation and advancing scientific and technological innovation and talent development in the energy field. Huang Yong, Vice Mayor of Shuozhou City; Li Wukui, Party Secretary of the Shuozhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau; and Ma Jinqiang, President of the Shuozhou Industrial Technology Research Institute, attended the discussion.

Huang Yong presented an overview of Shuozhou City, with a focus on the city's plans and needs in industrial transformation and scientific and technological innovation as an important energy base. He stressed the hope of drawing on the university's strengths in research and talent to jointly promote the high-quality development of the region's energy industry.

Gao Laiju introduced the history, disciplinary development and current status of the university and the school. He noted that the school has long focused on scientific and technological innovation in the field of energy and resources and is committed to serving national strategies and the needs of the industry, and that it looks forward to practical cooperation with Shuozhou City. Yang Shengli gave a detailed account of the school's achievements in talent development, scientific research and social services, and expressed the school's willingness to deepen cooperation in such areas as the joint development of research platforms, the commercialization of research achievements, and student practice.

Li Wukui then gave a systematic introduction to Shuozhou City's science and technology policies, innovation ecosystem and technological needs. Ma Jinqiang, President of the Shuozhou Industrial Technology Research Institute, explained the city's industrial layout, the technological bottlenecks faced by enterprises, and possible directions for cooperation.

The two sides held in-depth discussions on collaborative scientific and technological innovation, the joint development of research and development platforms, and talent development and exchange, reaching a broad consensus on further strengthening cooperation and establishing a long-term mechanism for interaction. Both sides agreed that the university's research strengths and the locality's industrial strengths should be fully leveraged to jointly promote the green development and efficient utilization of energy and to support the economic transformation and upgrading of the region.

After the discussion, Gao Laiju, Yang Shengli and their delegation, accompanied by relevant personnel, visited the China Coal Pingshuo Antaibao Open-Pit Coal Mine on site to gain a detailed understanding of the mining area's development history, production and operations, and technological innovation.

This exchange activity laid a solid foundation for the two sides to deepen cooperation. Going forward, the school will continue to actively expand cooperation with key energy regions, promote the deep integration of industry, universities, research institutes and end users, and contribute wisdom and strength to the progress of the industry and local development.

Liu Hongtao, Director of the Coal Industry Engineering Research Center for Roadway Support and Disaster Prevention, and Deng Xuejie, Deputy Director of the Department of Resource Science and Engineering, accompanied the delegation on this exchange visit.