The Shanghai Astronomical Observatory PIFI Distinguished Team Project successfully held a series of international exchange activities in Shanghai from October 13 to October 25, 2025.

From October 13 to 17, 2025, the international conference "Perspectives in Star Formation: Senior Insights, Young Visions," hosted by the SHAO PIFI Distinguished Team, was grandly held in Shanghai. Nearly 150 scholars from China and abroad participated via both online and offline channels. The conference was also live-streamed on the Koushare academic platform, accumulating over 44,000 views. In recent years, with the successful operations of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), alongside advancements in high-performance computing, research in star formation has made significant progress in both observational and numerical simulation aspects. This conference specially invited authoritative scholars in the field of star formation research to deliver review talks, recounting the history of star formation studies and introducing the latest advancements in the field. Furthermore, young scholars presented their research progress through nearly 50 oral presentations and over 30 poster presentations, showcasing the vitality and talent of the younger generation. Professor Ewine van Dishoeck, former President of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) and Professor of Molecular Astrophysics at Leiden University, the Netherlands, fondly recalled her visit to China in 2019 during the opening ceremony, encouraging young people to strengthen communication and cooperation in the current complex international environment. Professor Christopher McKee, Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, fully affirmed the success of the academic conference at the closing ceremony on the 16th, describing it as successful and significant. He also encouraged everyone, drawing from his own research experience, to seek out genuine problems and conduct substantive research. The conference also featured two special interview sessions where senior and young scholars engaged in extensive exchanges and dialogues on topics including career planning, scientific research work, and scientific questions. The conference received widespread praise from participants, with many young scholars expressing that they benefited greatly from the rare opportunity to dialogue with leading academic figures whose work they know from textbooks.

On the afternoon of October 15, 2025, a delegation of over 20 young scholars and some senior scholars from the PIFI Distinguished Team visited the Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics (SITP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). They participated in specialized training and discussions on "Space Astronomy" and toured the System Assembly and Integration R&D Platform of SITP's Digital Assembly and Testing Center. During the round-table discussion, participating Chinese and international scholars held in-depth discussions on topics such as astronomical observation, infrared detection technology, and future international cooperation. This activity established an important platform for promoting international exchange and cooperation in astronomy and space infrared technology, further expanding the international influence of the SITP/CAS State Key Laboratory of Infrared Science and Technology in the cutting-edge field of space infrared, and providing new ideas for the advancement of infrared science and technology.

Distinguished scholars from the PIFI Distinguished Team also conducted academic visits to several CAS research institutions and universities. Professor Mark Krumholz, Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science and professor at the Australian National University, visited Fudan University, Tsinghua University, and the National Astronomical Observatories of CAS, delivering academic lectures and engaging in exchange and cooperation. Professor John Bally, former Director of the Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy at the University of Colorado, gave a distinctive public science lecture at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, attracting a large number of primary, secondary, and university students from Shanghai and surrounding cities, achieving excellent science outreach results. Professor Christopher McKee and Professor Mika Juvela, former Vice Chairman of the Finnish Astronomical Society and professor at the University of Helsinki, Finland, conducted an official academic visit to the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory from October 20 to 25, 2025. During their visit, through seminars, academic discussions, and student guidance, the two experts engaged in productive academic exchanges and collaboration with the Radio Astrophysics research group at SHAO, reaching multiple cooperation agreements (e.g., joint research, co-supervision of students).

Through these activities, the young scholars within the PIFI Distinguished Team gained a deeper understanding of the beautiful city of Shanghai and strengthened their impression of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Shanghai Astronomical Observatory. Several young scholars within the team expressed a strong interest in participating in joint PhD training programs and postdoctoral projects at SHAO.

Professor Liu Tie, the Principal Investigator of the PIFI Distinguished Team project, stated: "In the current complex international situation, international exchange is crucial. The PIFI project provides an excellent platform for conducting international exchanges and cooperation. We are confident that, with the support of the PIFI project, we can carry out even more fruitful international exchanges and collaborations."

Figure 1. Group photo of the conference

Figure 2. Round table discussions

Figure 3. Group photo at SITP 

Figure 4. Prof. Christopher McKee giving lecture at SHAO