Nanchang University Engineering News (School of Engineering Construction) — The 21st International Conference on Boundary Element and Meshless Techniques (Beteq2024) was held at Nanchang University from September 6 to 8. The conference attracted more than 120 scholars, experts, and graduate students from various countries worldwide participated in this prestigious event.

The conference was hosted by Nanchang University, with co-organization from Peking University Nanchang Innovation Institute, Changsha University of Science and Technology, Jiangxi Mechanics Society, Donghua Jiaotong University, and Hohai University. The opening ceremony was attended by distinguished guests including Professor Zheng Jianlong, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor at Changsha University of Science and Technology; Professor Ge Gang, Vice President of Nanchang University; Professor Wen Pihua, Dean of Nanchang University's Aerospace Research Institute; Professor Ferri M H Aliabadi from Imperial College London; and other leading experts in the field.

At the opening ceremony, Ge Gang delivered a speech on behalf of the organizers, extending warm congratulations on the conference's convening and briefly introducing the profile of Nanchang University and its School of Engineering Construction. He emphasized that this conference not only provides an opportunity to share the latest scientific achievements but also promotes international research collaboration and innovation. He encouraged participating experts and scholars to seize this opportunity, align with national strategic needs, focus on cutting-edge scientific frontiers, embrace innovation, and contribute to global scientific and technological development.

As the Executive Chair of the conference, Wen Pihua extended a warm welcome to all attendees and expressed gratitude to the co-organizing units for their support. He emphasized that Beteq2024 not only provided global scholars with opportunities to exchange the latest research achievements, but also offered new perspectives for advancing the application of boundary element methods and mesh-free techniques in practical engineering.

During the conference, distinguished international scholars including Professor Ferri M. H. Aliabadi from Imperial College London and Professor Alexander Cheng from the University of Mississippi delivered insightful presentations on topics such as boundary element multiscale modeling, physical information networks in nonlinear solid mechanics, and particle modeling for metal powder additive manufacturing. Additionally, the conference featured eight parallel sessions covering data-driven computational modeling, computational fracture mechanics, and nonlinear problems, where global scholars engaged in in-depth discussions on the theoretical advancements and practical applications of boundary element and meshless techniques.

The conference achieved unprecedented scale with record-breaking attendance and presentation volumes, significantly enhancing academic collaboration among international research institutions. Experts unanimously affirmed that Beteq2024 has established a vital platform for advancing the global development of boundary element and mesh-free techniques, while fostering the growth of young researchers in dynamics disciplines. This initiative has effectively propelled academic innovation and technological progress.