INAR Goes CHINAR
A few months ago, I concluded my last blog post with the thought that the next big “family gathering” of aerosol scientists I’d be attending would take place in Helsinki in 2027. Turns out I forgot about the Chinese branch of the family.
At the end of August, I travelled to Xi’an for the 12th International Aerosol Conference – a significantly larger gathering than our little reunion in Estonia and one that required slightly more commitment than boarding a ferry.
The topic I brought with me was the same ensemble study I had presented in Estonia, but this time I was equipped with a few more months of wisdom, considerably more details and the anticipation of discovering a country so completely different from anything I had seen before.
In this regard, I was not disappointed. China is indeed a country of superlatives, with the host city, Xi’an – the historical capital – more populous than some European countries. But even 7000 kilometres away from where sauna is more than just an abstract concept, the saying “the world is a village” proved to be true, as there seemed to be so many familiar faces – again.
Among them were esteemed colleagues I had met during one of the very first workshops of my PhD journey, only slightly more seasoned by now. Back then, we were trying to remember names, understand acronyms and strategically nod whenever a conversation became too technical.
The strategic nodding remains a useful skill to this day, as I noticed during visits to several Chinese universities in the week following the conference. Among these were Tsinghua University in Beijing, Nanjing University and Fudan University in Shanghai, turning what had started as a conference trip into something between an academic tour and a sightseeing trip.
The famous Chinese hospitality
The tour schedule was accordingly demanding: Arrive in city, locate university, give talk, visit laboratories, discuss aerosol instrumentation, eat too much food, board a surprisingly convenient high-speed train and repeat. However, I was thoroughly rewarded for all the travel, as the university visits turned out to be the cherry on top of the trip. A conference with hundreds of participants is excellent for meeting people and exchanging ideas, but visiting research groups in their own laboratories creates a different atmosphere. There was more time to talk and see what people work with once the conference badges come off.
Even more memorable was how warmly I was welcomed by every research group along the way. My hosts took an incredible amount of time to show me around, introduce me to colleagues and laboratories and made sure I was very well fed. Over shared lunches and dinners, scientific discussions gradually gave way to conversations about everyday life and Chinese culture – although the language barrier occasionally turned something as simple as ordering food into a collaborative effort on its own. Luckily, smartphones proved super effective at overcoming it. Thousands of years of linguistic development, temporarily outsourced to the latest AI developments. It did make me wonder how more adventurous the same trip must have been only 30 years ago.
The potential for future collaborations
By the time I reached Shanghai, the conference in Xi’an already felt far away (abstractly and spatially (~1400 km)). What had begun as another opportunity to present my work had turned into two weeks of reconnecting with old acquaintances and connecting with fellow Chinese PhD students. Some of these conversations may not end with this trip but could mark the beginning of future collaborations.
In the end, I stand by the conclusion of my previous post. Aerosol conferences are family gatherings. I had simply underestimated how large the family is and apparently, the Chinese branch serves exquisite dinner.
At this point, I would like to thank my Chinese hosts at Tsinghua University in Beijing, Nanjing University and Fudan University in Shanghai for their incredibly warm hospitality, as well as DSII for making this trip possible.
