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To strengthen international exchanges and cooperation, and to advance research and application of nonlinear mechanics in China, the 2026 International Conference on Nonlinear Mechanics (ICNM 2026) will be hosted by the Chinese Society of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (CSTAM) and jointly organized by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Shanghai University, and the Shanghai Institute of Applied Mathematics and Mechanics, and the Shanghai Center for Nonlinear Science Activities. The conference is scheduled to be held in Hong Kong, China, from December 4 to 7, 2026. It will bring together leading scholars and experts from around the world to discuss the latest developments and applications of nonlinear mechanics, foster international collaboration, enhance China’s academic influence in this field, and provide a platform for researchers and engineers to present their achievements and share experiences.

Since Prof. Wei-zang Chien founded the first International Conference on Nonlinear Mechanics in 1985, six editions have been held to date. The first through fifth conferences were held in Shanghai in 1985, 1993, 1998, 2002, and 2007, respectively, and were initiated and chaired by Prof. Wei-zang Chien. The sixth conference was held in 2013. The conference has grown in scale and significantly increased in influence.

(1) At the first International Conference on Nonlinear Mechanics, Prof. Wei-zang Chien pointed out: “Nonlinear mechanics is one of the mainstreams of contemporary mechanics research, and a very important one. It not only provides an important theoretical foundation for the development of new technologies, new materials, and new processes, but also opens up many new fields and creates many new methods for applied mathematics.” Nonlinear mechanics is a core field of mechanics research and addresses national strategic needs in aerospace, energy engineering, materials science, and other areas.

The ICNM focuses on cross-scale effects, multi-physics coupling, and related issues. At the conference, renowned experts from China and abroad exchange and share research findings on microscopic and mesoscopic phenomena and mechanical mechanisms in complex environments. The conference also attracts industry participants to discuss technical bottlenecks and related achievements.

(2) The fifth conference in 2007 was listed by the International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (IUTAM) as one of its series conferences, marking recognition of its international academic standing and establishing it as an important academic platform in the international nonlinear mechanics community.

(3) The mechanics discipline at Shanghai University is an important supporting discipline in the “Double First-Class” initiative, and the conference theme is highly aligned with its development direction. ICNM 2026 will focus on cross-scale effects, multi-physics coupling, nonlinear behavior of intelligent materials, and other directions. It will invite top international scholars to share their latest research, promote exchanges between Chinese scholars and international peers in the fundamental theory, numerical methods, artificial intelligence, and applications of nonlinear mechanics, enhance China’s international influence in this field, strengthen the academic foundation and international impact of the mechanics discipline in nonlinear mechanics, and advance interdisciplinary integration and the cultivation of innovative talents.