A Delegation from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Visited ITU

A delegation of researchers, including Prof. Bai Chunli, former President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), met with ITU Rector Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal and academics. The visit focused on evaluating collaborations and joint research areas between CAS and ITU.

The visit, which addressed future collaborations alongside joint research areas in advanced materials science and energy technologies, took place on November 28, 2025, at our Ayazağa Campus. Our Rector, Prof. Dr. Hasan Mandal, stated that the visit, which provided an opportunity for university and CAS representatives to meet, created a productive environment for interaction. Throughout the discussions, knowledge and experiences were shared with an enlightening vision, research areas were enriched, and new opportunities were evaluated.

Prof. Dr. Mandal recalled that he had conducted studies at the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics affiliated with CAS as part of his doctoral work, and that his ties with China have continued since meeting Prof. Bai Chunli by leading many joint projects within the framework of the Alliance of International Science Organizations in the Belt and Road Region (ANSO). He noted that the long-standing cooperation with scientific institutions in China forms a solid foundation for the research and projects carried out at ITU and inspires future collaborations.

Our Rector thanked Prof. Bai Chunli, former President (2011-2020) of CAS and founding President of ANSO; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Onur Ergen, a faculty member at the ITU Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering; and Wei Xiaodong, Consul General of the People's Republic of China in Istanbul, for the developed collaboration

The joint projects to be carried out with CAS at ITU also include scholarship and internship opportunities for ITU students within the scope of ANSO. This collaboration not only enhances ITU’s research capacity but also allows young researchers from Türkiye to participate more strongly in the global scientific community.

The Chinese delegation also visited the Ergen Quantum Applications Lab (EQAL) located in our Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering. The delegation examined Dr. Ergen's quantum electron engineering-based materials, advanced energy storage solutions, and medical device applications on-site.

ERC Grantee Assoc. Prof. Dr. Onur Ergen and Prof. Ying Zhang officially launched their new CAS-TÜBİTAK bilateral project during the visit. The SMART-BAT Project, which was deemed worthy of support, focuses on wide-temperature-range boron nitride quantum materials for next-generation safe energy systems.

Regarding SMART-BAT (Smart Membrane for Advanced Responsive Thermal Management in Batteries), which is about safer batteries with smart thermal management composite membrane materials in a wide temperature range, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ergen shared the following information:

“SMART-BAT is developing a next-generation solution for thermal safety, which is one of the most critical issues in lithium-ion batteries. The project involves combining flame-retardant polymers (FRPs) with defect-engineered boron nitride (BN) aerogels, and this structure is reinforced using the SPARK-BN (Structured Porous Advanced Responsive Kinetics) approach. The goal is to equip batteries with smart-responsive safe membranes under overheating and electrical stress.

This work, which brings together the expertise of research teams from China and Türkiye, aims to integrate advanced materials science with engineering to move the technology from the laboratory to the prototype and then to commercialization.

SMART-BAT not only increases battery life and performance but also accelerates the global adoption of electric mobility by offering safer, more durable, and more sustainable energy storage solutions.”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Onur Ergen emphasized that the researchers at EQAL continue to push the frontiers by bridging quantum materials, energy technologies, and advanced electronics.