From October 14 to 17, 2025, the 3rd World Materials Congress, the 26th IUMRS International Conference on Advanced Materials (IUMRS-ICA 2025), and the 9th World Materials Summit were grandly held in Guangxi. The event attracted over 3,500 materials scholars from more than 50 countries. A total of 38 parallel sessions were organized, categorized under the 3rd World Materials Congress hosted by the Chinese Materials Research Society and IUMRS. The 9th World Materials Summit co-hosted by the Chinese Materials Research Society, the European Materials Research Society, and IUMRS. The IUMRS International Conference on Advanced Materials 2025 hosted by IUMRS. The conference themes covered energy materials, electronic information materials, advanced structural materials, advanced functional materials, biomaterials, computational materials, and other fields. Nearly 40% of the participants were international representatives. The congress received 1,249 abstracts and 52 essays.The event was jointly organized by the Chinese Materials Research Society (C-MRS) and the International Union of Materials Research Societies (IUMRS), with co-organization by the European Materials Research Society, the Japanese Materials Research Society, the Korean Materials Research Society, the Materials Research Society of Singapore, the Materials Research Society of India, the African Materials Research Society, and the Australian Materials Research Society.

The opening ceremony was presided over by Professor Li Guangxian, First Vice President of IUMRS and Supervisory Board Chair of the Chinese Materials Research Society.

Academician Wei Bingbo, President of the Chinese Materials Research Society, delivered the opening speech. He stated that the World Materials Conference was initiated and hosted by the Chinese Materials Research Society, with the first edition held in Shenzhen in 2023 and the second in Guangzhou in 2024. Both events attracted top global materials scientists and promoted international academic exchange and collaboration.

He emphasized that the world has entered a new development phase, marked by three crucial trends: first, artificial intelligence is driving unprecedented advancements and transformations in the research, production, and application of materials; second, global green development is accelerating industrial material recycling, making renewable and new materials a major future trend; and third, breakthroughs in the functional development of materials at atomic, molecular, and nano-scale microstructures are leading to an explosive growth of material revolutions in the new era. These transformative changes and trends, which impact all of humanity, provide compelling reasons for materials scientists worldwide to engage in dialogue, collaborate, and contribute their expertise and efforts toward building a better future for humankind.

During the conference, the handover ceremony of the International Union of Materials Research Societies (IUMRS) headquarters was held. Professor Anil Kumar, President of IUMRS, announced that starting from January 2026, the IUMRS headquarters would officially relocate to China and be managed by the Chinese Materials Research Society. Academician Wei Bingbo, President of the Chinese Materials Research Society, formally received the authorization letter from IUMRS President Professor Anil Kumar, handed over by Professor Chaobin He, President of the Materials Research Society of Singapore. Professor Zhang Zengzhi, Secretary General of the Chinese Materials Research Society, received the IUMRS headquarters plaque from Professor B.V.R. Chowdari, Executive Director of the Materials Research Society of Singapore.

The solemn and dignified handover ceremony symbolized the Chinese Materials Research Society’s commitment to assuming new responsibilities and obligations for global advanced materials development. The Society pledged to adhere to the IUMRS charter, unite its member organizations, and advance IUMRS’s global mission to a higher level, guided by the vision of a shared future for humanity.

Established in 1991, IUMRS is an international academic organization composed of materials research societies from various countries and regions, dedicated to promoting exchange and collaboration in the field of materials science and engineering worldwide. As a formal member of the International Science Council (ISC), IUMRS is committed to fostering interdisciplinary research and sustainable development in materials science, as well as advancing international cooperation and educational exchange.

During the opening ceremony, the release ceremony of two journals edited by Chinese Materials Research Society, Transactions of Materials Research and Review of Materials Research, was held. Professor Zhang Zengzhi, Secretary General of the Chinese Materials Research Society, and Professor Zhu Zhiyuan, Senior Publisher of Elsevier, unveiled the journals. Transactions of Materials Research is the international journal of the Chinese Materials Research Society, while Review of Materials Research is international review. As a global academic leader in materials research, China has the responsibility and obligation to provide academic guidance and frontier reviews in the field of new materials. Through the launch of these two journals, Chinese Materials Research Society will collaborate with the international materials community to lead the development of new materials worldwide.

The plenary session was chaired by Professor Li Guangxian, First Vice President of IUMRS and Supervisory Board Chair of the Chinese Materials Research Society, and Professor Hong Liu, Second Vice President of IUMRS and Vice President of the Materials Research Society of Singapore. The following plenary lectures were delivered:

   Professor David Mitzi (USA): Organic-Inorganic Perovskites: Unprecedented Opportunities for Emerging Semiconductor Design and Application

Professor Jian-Feng Nie (Australia): Solute Clusters and Segregation Revealed by STEM

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Professor Congmin LYU (China): Development and Prospects of Materials Science Research and Application of the China Space Station

Professor Sanjay Mathur (Germany): Catalysts of Change: Advanced Nanomaterials Steering Health and Energy Transition

The conference was attended by representatives from materials research societies worldwide, including:European Materials Research Society: Professor Juan Ramón Morante, Professor Sanjay Mathur, Professor Guohua Hu；Japanese Materials Research Society: Vice President Professor Madoka Takai, Vice President Professor Nobuhiro Matsushita, Council Member Professor Jia Junjun；Thai Materials Research Society: President Professor Santi Maensiri, Professor Yupeng Yan；Australian Materials Research Society: President Professor Lan Fu, Immediate Past President Professor Lianzhou Wang；Korean Materials Research Society: President Professor Yoonkee Kim, Vice President Professor Inhwan Lee, Vice President Professor Hyoung Wook Kim, Vice President Professor Jae Hyun Kim, General and International Affairs Director Professor Kihyun Shin；Materials Research Society of Singapore: President Professor Chaobin He, Vice President Professor Hong Liu, Executive Director Professor B.V.R. Chowdari；African Materials Research Society: President Professor Balla Diop Ngom, Secretary General Dr. Samuel Chigome.

During the conference, several bilateral meetings were held:

China-EU Materials Research Societies Bilateral Meeting: Discussions focused on signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), co-organizing the 2026 China-EU Conference, the 2026 E-MRS Spring Meeting, the World Materials Summit, and other potential collaborative events in 2026–2027.

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China-Japan Materials Research Societies Bilateral Meeting: Both parties reviewed and finalized the MoU discussed at the 2024 Guangzhou meeting, explored the feasibility of additional collaboration proposals, and strengthened bilateral cooperation.

China-Thailand Materials Research Societies Bilateral Meeting: The two societies introduced their respective activities and explored future collaboration directions and possibilities.

China-Australia Materials Research Societies Bilateral Meeting: Both sides exchanged information about their societies and discussed deepening cooperation in the field of materials through bilateral collaboration.

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China-Korea Materials Research Societies Bilateral Meeting: Discussions included specific arrangements for the "China-Korea Conference 2026" (hosted by C-MRS) in Hainan, MoU cooperation, and preparations for the IUMRS-ICYRAM 2026 conference.

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China-Singapore Materials Research Societies Bilateral Meeting: Topics included the organization and progress of the IUMRS headquarters handover working group, collaboration on the TCAM 2026 conference, and plans for conferences in 2026 and 2027.​

China-Africa Materials Research Societies Bilateral Meeting: Discussions centered on building an academic exchange platform, conference collaboration, and signing an MoU.

The World Materials Congress serves as a platform for global advanced materials development, establishing China as an academic hub for new materials. It has garnered widespread attention from the global materials community, attracting leading materials scholars to China and fostering mutual learning, collaboration, and friendship among materials scientists worldwide.

With the relocation of the IUMRS headquarters to China, the Chinese Materials Research Society will carry forward IUMRS’s mission to promote global materials science exchange and collaboration. By working closely with research institutions and scholars worldwide, it will explore the frontiers of materials science and contribute to innovation-driven development and a sustainable future.