University of Michigan - Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute

On November 29, the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) will host an academic seminar titled "Emergent behaviors in complex microbial ecosystems" featuring Dr. Jiliang Hu from Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology. From tropical forests to gut microbiomes, ecological communities harbor diverse and abundant species. Understanding the complex emergent phenomena of diversity, stability, and invisibility in these communities within a unified framework has been a significant challenge. The seminar will address this knowledge gap by conducting the first direct test of a theory proposing that simple community-level features govern emergent behaviors. Overall, the research work uncovers predictable emergent patterns of diversity, dynamics, and invisibility in ecological communities, offering insights into a unified framework for microbial ecology.

Two students from the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) have been invited to represent China in a global hackathon competition held in Germany. Nuocheng Ji, a Class of 2024 undergraduate student, and Yueyuan Li, a Class of 2020 alumna, distinguished themselves in multiple selection rounds, securing a spot in the 2023 SICK Hackathon Challenge competition attended by 108 contestants from 22 countries. They participated in the competition with a team working on the project titled “AI-driven Machine Monitoring & Diagnostic Assistant” . Full story: https://www.ji.sjtu.edu.cn/news/2023-11-16/142287/

The University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) undergraduate student Ziming Zhou majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering has become the winner of the undergraduate student research competition at the 2023 ICE Forward Conference of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), an annual event inviting undergraduate researchers that have studied in the field of internal combustion engines, emissions systems, fuels and sprays, or carbon management. Ziming Zhou, who enrolled at JI in 2021, was invited to deliver a presentation on his research project titled “Planar In-cylinder Flow Field Prediction based on Physics-inspired Automated Machine Learning Framework” to over 200 leading experts in the internal combustion engine field at the ASME conference held in Pittsburgh in October. Full story: https://www.ji.sjtu.edu.cn/off-the-press/2023-11-20/142388/

The University of Michigan - Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) Associate Dean for Graduate Education, Professor Yongxing Shen, is going to host an online briefing session on 2024 JI International Graduate Admission on November 23. If you are interested, please scan the QR code and fill out the registration form before the event date.
Sign up for the Briefing on 2024 UM-SJTU Joint Institute International Graduate Admissions

Time: 16:00-18:30 on Nov. 23rd, 2023(GMT+8)
ZOOM ID: 84148235232 Passcode:169968
Registration form: https://www.wjx.top/vm/m3BPksd.aspx

For more information on JI, please log onto its official website: https://www.ji.sjtu.edu.cn.

Probabilistic Methods in Engineering, an undergraduate course at the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) instructed by Professor Horst Hohberger, has been awarded the Second Prize at the 5th National University Blended Teaching Design Innovation Competition, a highly-regarded university-level teaching competition in China. The award-winning course is a mandatory component for JI students majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering, an elective for Mechanical Engineering majors, and a core requirement for students minoring in Data Science. Full story: https://www.ji.sjtu.edu.cn/off-the-press/2023-11-17/142342/

Students, faculty and staff of the University of Michigan - Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute also meet lovely cats on the SJTU Minhang campus from time to time. Cat lovers, you're not alone – we've got a lovely community here at JI!

On November 15, the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) will host an academic seminar titled "Bi-static Sensing in 6G Perceptive Mobile Networks" featuring J. Andrew Zhang, Professor of School of Electrical and Data Engineering, University of Technology Sydney. Clock asynchronism between spatially isolated transmitter and receiver is a central problem in bi-static sensing when integrating radar sensing into communication networks. It can cause ranging ambiguity and prevent coherent processing of dis-continuous measurements in the integration with asynchronous transceivers. Should it be resolved, sensing can be efficiently realized in communication networks, requiring little network infrastructure and hardware changes. This talk will explore the techniques for resolving the clock asynchronism problem in the integration. Multiple state-of-the-art techniques will be discussed, with a highlight of their ideas, advantages and disadvantages.

On November 15, the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) will host an academic seminar titled "Creating Stones in Computers" featuring Professor Chun Liu from the School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University. Particles are widespread in the physical-world, ranging from tiny powders, fine sands, to grains and rocks. The contact and interaction of a large number of particles can produce a dynamic system exhibiting very complicated overall behavior. The discrete element method has proved to provide a powerful tool to study granular materials in various fields, such as geological hazards, geotechnique, chemical processing, agriculture, and manufacturing. Based on an innovative matrix reformulation of the conventional discrete element method, Dr. Chun Liu has developed a high-performing discrete element software, MatDEM, which can effectively model millions of particles on a desktop computer. The particles can be carefully cemented to create various stones, with which one may build up a physical-world model in a computer. In this talk, the model is used to generate data for AI training, and it is applied to simulate battery manufacturing process, geotechnical processes on the moon, etc.

The University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) recently hosted a seminar titled “Academic Career Development in China” for international students studying at the campus of SJTU Minhang. The event held on October 25, serving as a testament to JI commitment in facilitating academic growth and creating opportunities for students, was co-organized by the Future Faculty Club (FFC) and the Graduate Education Office of JI. Full story: https://www.ji.sjtu.edu.cn/news/2023-11-04/142242/

On November 10, the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) will host an academic seminar titled "From Traditional Geometric-based Vision Methods to AI Experiences —— the Evolution of Robotics" featuring Associate Professor Tong Qin from the Global Institute of Future Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. This talk will introduce the trend of AI (Artificial Intelligence) for robotics. The speaker will give detailed examples of autonomous driving to illustrate how to deploy AI technologies into the real product. Specifically, the speaker will elaborate on the neural networks used for Autonomous Valet Parking, crowed-sourcing data collection for automatic map generation, NeRF (Neural Radian Field) technology used for 3D reconstruction, and GPT(Generative Pre-trained Transformer)-based systematic design for end-to-end autonomous driving.

Sixteen international students from the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) were treated to a visit to downtown Shanghai on the afternoon of November 5 for a Chinese Cooking Workshop. Professional chefs were invited to share their expertise and teach the students the art of preparing traditional Chinese dishes, such as Mapo Tofu and Kung Pao Chicken. This cooking workshop is part of the JI course “Introduction to Chinese Culture”, which is offered to registered international students annually.

International students of the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) from more than 10 countries embarked on an outing to Hangzhou to celebrate the Double Ninth Festival last week. Hangzhou, the capital of East China’s Zhejiang Province, is a renowned tourist destination located to the west of Shanghai. The Double Ninth Festival, occurring on the ninth day of the ninth month in the Chinese calendar is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated in China and its neighboring countries. It is customary to go on a tour, climb a mountain, fly a kite and pay respect to the elderly to celebrate the auspicious occasion. Full story: https://www.ji.sjtu.edu.cn/news/2023-11-02/142095/

Campus Kaleidoscope | Take a stroll through the lush greens of the expansive SJTU Minhang Campus on a sunny autumn day, you will be rejuvenated with energy and pleasant feelings. The campus boasts a multitude of natural features, including its iconic Great Lawn, as well as the presence of at least three rivers, four lakes, and five gardens.

On November 3, the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) will host an academic seminar titled "Overcoming the Barrier of Deploying Second-Life EV Batteries for Storage Applications" featuring Chris Mi, Distinguished Professor & Director of GATE Center for Electric Drive Transportation, San Diego State University. The number of electric vehicles is growing rapidly, and so are retired batteries. The batteries are costly in production and recycling. Handling retired EV batteries is thus important for both the economy and the environment. DOE and CEC have funded multiple projects to promote second-life EV batteries (SLBs) in storage applications. However, deploying SLBs will encounter serious issues, such as lifetime, cost, safety, liability, and regulations. The talk will discuss the result of a recent CEC-funded project, including the aging mechanism, charge/discharge methods, thermal management, cell/pack balancing, energy management, policy, standards, and fire codes related to energy storage systems using SLBs.

The University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) junior student Niladri Saha Saccha took part in an enlightening symposium held at Fudan University in Shanghai on October 23. As the vice president of the student organization, SJTU Student International Organization Association (SIOA), he played an important role in the event. During the meeting, SIOA members engaged in a constructive dialogue with their counterparts from the Association of Global Governance and International Organization’s Talent Development of Fudan University (FDG2IO). They discussed issues covering management of international organization associations, cross-campus cooperation and China’s Belt and Road Initiative. "The symposium broadened my understanding of student governance and how we can cultivate a positive atmosphere through effective networking." said the JI student from Bangladesh majoring in Materials Science and Engineering.

The University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) hosted a flag handover ceremony at CIMC Auditorium of Long Bin Building on October 23, marking the establishment of the new international student association (ISA) team including a president, two vice presidents, three ministers and three members. The ceremony was part of the 'Love, Death & Robots Stream Night' event, offering attendees lucky draw, movie-watching, free popcorn and drinks. Kantaphat Leelakunwet from Thailand, a junior student majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering, assumed the role of president from Seungyeon Yang, a South Korean student who delivered a handover speech reflecting the ISA team’s achievements over the past year. Full story: https://www.ji.sjtu.edu.cn/news/2023-10-25/141920/

On October 27, the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) will host an academic seminar titled "Heat Flux on Piston Surfaces in an Internal Combustion Engine" featuring Associate Professor Marcis Jansons from Department of Mechanical Engineering of Wayne State University. Heat losses from reciprocating piston engines represent nearly 10% of global energy consumption. Yet, the convective heat transfer mechanism of reacting, turbulent, and pulsating boundary layers remains poorly understood. Moreover, the wall functions commonly used in numerical simulations are insufficiently accurate to predict heat losses from even non-reacting motored engine conditions. The stochastic characteristics of the turbulent boundary layer, where temperature fields are closely coupled with those of velocity, together with the steep temperature and pressure gradients at wall surfaces present challenges to analytical and numerical solutions, forming a need for experimental diagnostics for heat flux measurements from engine in-cylinder surfaces. Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) thermometry is used to measure the temperature profiles in the thermal boundary layer over a piston surface of a motored engine with 50 m resolution. A thin –film infrared pyrometry technique is developed to allow the determination of surface heat flux and is simultaneously applied with the PLIF measurements to characterize the thermal boundary layer. The thin-film pyrometry technique is expanded to two dimensions, and allows the observation of heat transfer characteristics of reacting flame fronts above an engine piston, to facilitate the development of low heat loss, high efficiency engines.

Here are a few photos of the SJTU Minhang campus, where many students of the UM-SJTU Joint Institute reside and study.

Fall 2024 Graduate Admission of the University of Michigan - Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute has been officially launched from October 1st, 2023. Master and Ph.D. programs in the fields of Computer Science and Technology, Control Science and Engineering, Electronic Science and Technology, Information and Communication Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechanics, Power Engineering and Engineering Thermophysics, with abundant scholarships, are offered to international students.

Important Dates：
Oct 1, 2023 2024 application opens
Dec 15, 2023 Deadline for 1st Round Chinese Government Scholarship application
Feb 15, 2024 Deadline for 2nd (Last) Round Chinese Government Scholarship application
Mar 31, 2024 Deadline for SGS Scholarship, SJTU Scholarship application
May 31, 2024 Deadline for self-supported application
Sept 16, 2024 Enrollment

Contact: [email protected]

On October 20, the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) will host an academic seminar titled "Ocean Eddy Dynamics & Impacts on Climate and Ecosystem" featuring Associate Professor Dujuan Kang from School of Oceanography of SJTU. Mesoscale ocean eddies are ubiquitous coherent rotating structures of water with radial scales on the order of 10~100 kilometers. They play an important role in the transport and mixing of physical and biogeochemical properties that are crucial to the ocean circulation and ecosystem. Ocean eddies can also affect the air-sea interactions and therefore influence the weather and climate. This seminar presents Professor Kang’s research on understanding the dynamics and variability of ocean eddies using both theoretical analysis and numerical simulations. In particular, the automatic eddy detection-tracking method and the eddy energetics analysis framework that she developed will be introduced. The applications of these approaches in examining eddies’ impact on climate and ecosystems will be discussed.

The University of Michigan – Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) undergraduate student Kezhi Li has published a research paper titled “Forehead or Headlights – At Which Height Should LiDARs Be Mounted on the Vehicle?” in IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Vehicles, a top journal in intelligent vehicles with an impact factor of 8.2. Li is the first author of the article investigating the impact of LiDAR mounting height on perception algorithms in production vehicles. Two SJTU professors, Ming Yang and Yeqiang Qian are corresponding authors of the paper. Full story: https://www.ji.sjtu.edu.cn/off-the-press/2023-10-12/141611/

The University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) hosted the 2023 Go Global Day event at Long Bin Building on October 10, on occasion of the visit of an UM delegation to SJTU. The event serving as an open day for showcasing the JI Global Degree Pathways (GDP) programs in collaboration with UM was attended by more than 300 students. Full story: https://www.ji.sjtu.edu.cn/off-the-press/2023-10-11/141608/

On October 13, the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) will host an academic seminar titled "Combustion in small channels: Flame acceleration and transition to detonation" featuring Assistant Professor Shuyue Lai from School of Aeronautics and Astronautics of SJTU. Detonations occur in many physical systems, from micro-thruster engines with length scales of microns to supernovae spanning thousands of kilometers. Detonations may be initiated by direct initiation or through deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT). There have been many discussions on the DDT mechanism, which is essentially a stochastic process. DDT in confined/semi-confined space involves multiple interacting stochastic processes, including flow instabilities, turbulence, many interactions between shocks, flames, and vortices, and the resulting formation of ignition centers (hot spots). This presentation is illustrated visually by movies and figures made from results of multidimensional, compressible, unsteady, deterministic solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations. Discussion focuses on the detonation ignition mechanism using a chemical explosive mode analysis (CEMA) tool.

The University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (JI) student union organized a spectacular welcome party in September for the recently-enrolled students on the fourth-floor atrium of the Long Bin Building. The stage came alive with incredible performances, and students bonded over shared stories and laughter. Here's a glimpse of the fun moments. Let's make the JI memories together!

The Young Investigators Symposium on Frontiers in Innovative Technology (FIT) hosted by the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (JI), in conjunction with Shanghai Jiao Tong University Main Forum, will be held on November 20 and 21 in Shanghai (or online for international researchers). The FIT symposium provides a social platform for young scholars around the world to exchange ideas on their latest research, to interact and collaborate, and to find inspirations in the rapidly evolving technological fields. Seminars at FIT focus on interdisciplinary engineering research and emerging areas in electrical and computer engineering and mechanical engineering. Outstanding young international scholars are encouraged to pursue collaborations with JI faculty members. For more information, please log onto https://www.ji.sjtu.edu.cn/event/event-detail/?eventID=75663. Interested candidates can send their full CVs, short bios, titles and abstracts of their talks to [email protected].

A bright moon and stars twinkle and shine. May the beauty of the moon and the happiness of the season fill your heart with joy and love. Happy Mid-Autumn / Moon Festival!

Note: The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is an annual celebration taking place on the 15th day of the lunar calendar in August. The festival features customs such as mooncake consumption, lantern displays, osmanthus flower appreciation, and osmanthus wine tasting, all deeply rooted in traditional Chinese culture. This year’s Mid-Autumn Festival on September 29 coincides with China's National Day holiday which begins on October 1.

More than 40 international students joined a Chinese cultural exploration event celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival on the afternoon of September 22. The students from various countries, such as the United States, France, Germany, Belgium, Armenia and Malaysia, were organized into groups and enjoyed a lecture of the Mid-Autumn Festival followed by activity sessions that involved making mooncakes, assembling lanterns, cutting colored paper and writing greeting cards. The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is an annual celebration in China, taking place on the 15th day of the lunar calendar in August. The festival features customs such as mooncake consumption, lantern displays, osmanthus flower appreciation, and osmanthus wine tasting, all deeply rooted in traditional Chinese culture. Full story: https://www.ji.sjtu.edu.cn/off-the-press/2023-09-25/141373/

The United States Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns paid a visit to the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) on September 14. The US delegation visited the Tang Junyuan Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center and the Yu Liming Student Center in the Long Bin Building. The ambassador also had a meeting with JI students in Room 454 where they discussed topics including career planning, cross-cultural education, Sino-US education cooperation, cultural exchange and the mission of the youth. Burns said visiting the SJTU campus and JI left him with a very good impression. Strengthening educational cooperation and enhancing mutual understanding is very important for both countries. Full story: https://www.ji.sjtu.edu.cn/off-the-press/2023-09-22/141336/

On September 26, 2023, the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) will host an academic seminar titled " Shear wave imaging and photoacoustic imaging of small animals and 3D cell culture systems " featuring Distinguished Professor Pai-Chi Li from Department of Electrical Engineering, Taiwan University. Ultrasound has been widely used for preclinical research on small animals. Another emerging area of preclinical research is based on the use of 3D cell culture systems. To fully exploit the value of preclinical research on small animals and 3D cell culture systems, new imaging and therapeutic technologies are needed. The seminar will share recent works on preclinical ultrasound in two particular areas: acoustics based theranostic technologies and shear wave elasticity imaging. The seminar will also describe latest results on a microfluidic platform for a 3D microtumor culture system, as well as how photoacoustic molecular imaging and shear wave elasticity imaging can be applied to study mechanobiology on this platform.

On September 22, 2023, the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) will host an academic seminar titled "Phase and Motion: At the Intersection of Nonlinear Dynamics, Mechatronics, and Learning Systems" featuring Assistant Professor Nikhil Bajaj from Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Pittsburgh. Society is increasingly looking to large-scale sensing and control systems to solve big problems. Success in solving these problems is contingent upon transducer networks that are of high performance, scalable, and resilient. Mechatronics, dynamics and control, and machine learning concepts are central to the operation of these systems across multiple levels of the Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) hierarchy, from the micro- or nano- electromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS) comprising the sensing elements, up to the networks themselves. This seminar will describe multiple advances in the design of dynamic systems that enable new functionality while considering the practical constraints associated with mass adoption.

The American global business magazine Fortune has put Beijing BuilderX Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd., an enterprise established by the University of Michigan – Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) Class of 2011 alumnus Shaolong Sui, as one of the 65 China’s Most Impactful Startup Companies in 2023. Full story: https://www.ji.sjtu.edu.cn/off-the-press/2023-09-15/141223/.

One-day Shanghai Tour for New Students
To help the new international students get familiar with the city of Shanghai and Chinese culture, the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) organized a one-day city tour on September 10. The students were taken to: the Chinese Art Palace located in the China Pavilion of World Expo 2010, a prominent museum showcasing Chinese Art and culture; Tianzifang, a popular tourist destination known for its narrow alleys, traditional Shikumen-style architecture, art studios, boutiques, cafes, and vibrant atmosphere; Yu Garden, a famous classical Chinese garden known for its traditional Chinese architecture, beautiful landscaping, ponds, bridges, and historic significance; Shanghai Tower, the tallest building in China located in the prestigious Shanghai financial area called Lujiazui; The Bund, a famous waterfront area along the Huangpu River known for its historic colonial architecture and iconic skyline views of the city's modern skyscrapers.