From March 30th to April 2th, 2023, the “Workshop on Frontiers and Challenges in Experimental Methods and Techniques under Extreme Conditions” was successfully held in Xi'an. The conference was hosted by the Experimental Mechanics Committee of the Chinese Society of Mechanics and jointly organized by Northwestern Polytechnic University and Lanzhou University. More than 100 experts and scholars from more than 30 universities and research institutes, including academicians Xiaojing Zheng and QifengYu attended the conference. Vice President Chengyi Hou of Northwestern Polytechnical University, academician Xiaojing Zheng, chairman of the conference, Qingguo Meng, deputy director of the Mathematical Sciences Department of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and Professor Xue Feng , director of the Experimental Mechanics Professional Committee of the Chinese Society of Mechanics, delivered speeches at the opening ceremony. The opening ceremony was chaired by Professor Tao Suo of Northwestern Polytechnic University.

On behalf of the organizer, Vice President Chengyi Hou delivered a speech on behalf of the organiser on line, expressing a warm welcome and heartfelt thanks to all the experts and scholars who came to the venue.

Academician Xiaojing Zheng said that experimental mechanics observations under extreme conditions are essential and are the basis for the birth of new theories and the correctness of new methods. He hoped that colleagues in experimental mechanics could carry out research around the frontiers and challenges of methods and techniques under extreme conditions, make more work, discover new experimental principles and experimental phenomena, develop new devices and instruments, and achieve all-round breakthroughs in terms of means, theories and results.

Qingguo Meng advocated that the majority of experimental mechanics workers focus on the theoretical frontiers of the discipline, closely integrate with the national major engineering needs, condense new areas and directions of scientific research, explore new theories and methods around experimental mechanics problems under extreme conditions, develop new instruments, and promote the continuous development of the discipline.

Professor Xue Feng briefly introduced the development of experimental mechanics in recent years and hoped that scholars would carry out in-depth discussions at the conference and offer valuable and constructive advice on the frontiers and challenges in national major needs and experimental mechanics.

The seminar specially invited Researcher Jianqiang Chen of China Aerodynamic Research and Development Centre, Professor Yulong Li of Northwestern Polytechnic University, Professor Xue Feng of Tsinghua University, Professor Xingyi Zhang of Lanzhou University, Professor Jubing Chen of Shanghai Jiaotong University, Professor Qi Gao of Zhejiang University, Associate Professor Peng Jiang of Xi'an Jiaotong University and Associate Professor Zhaoliang Qu of Beijing University of Technology to give a wonderful academic report on the extreme mechanics of next generation hypersonic vehicles, electromagnetic Hopkinson rod development and application, design and manufacturing of flexible integrated devices and applications, and experimental mechanics of superconducting materials in extreme environments, etc. They gave excellent academic presentations and comprehensively introduced the latest research progress in related fields. The participants of the seminar engaged in a lively academic exchange on the frontiers and challenges of experimental mechanics and discussed the key scientific issues of experimental mechanics together.

The success of this workshop effectively promoted the research on experimental mechanics methods and techniques under extreme conditions to better serve the major needs of the country.