Prof. Yang Hongfeng, Programme Director, and Wong Shun Lok (Bluebird), a Year 2 student of the ASEIDM Programme, participated in the 2026 National Planetary Science Conference held from 22–26 March 2026 in Guangzhou.
Jointly organized by several major scientific societies in China, the conference aims to promote collaboration and exchanges among institutions, researchers, engineers, and educators in planetary science and planetary exploration. It showcased the latest research achievements, encouraged new scientific ideas, explored future directions for the development of planetary science as a discipline, and supported talent cultivation in the field.
During the conference, Prof. Yang has been invited to introduce CUHK's planetary research and the ASEIDM Programme to the public. As part of the training under the CDMP Research and Innovation Scheme (CRIS), Bluebird was encouraged by his CRIS supervisor, Prof. Yang, and supported by the ASEIDM Programme to seize the invaluable opportunity to participate in the conference as an undergraduate student conducting Mars-related research under his guidance. Let's take a look at what Bluebird gained from the conference:
“Participating in the 2026 National Conference on Planetary Science was my first experience attending a large-scale academic event, which broadened my horizons far beyond textbooks and course papers. The conference covered rich fields such as Mars exploration, planetary oceans, exoplanets and planetary physics. I focused on reports related to Mars, planetary oceans and exoplanets, and felt the cutting-edge progress and diverse perspectives of global planetary science research.
In the Mars exploration session, I learned about the latest developments of China’s Tianwen Mission, as well as key research on marsquake data analysis and Martian interior structure. Communicating with researchers on-site made me understand the practical challenges and innovative ideas of planetary exploration, rather than just rigid academic knowledge. What impressed me most was the in-depth exchange with Dr. Dai Qili. He not only explained the research ideas of Martian seismic data to me but also shared his study path from undergraduate to PhD, which made me clearer about the direction of academic growth.
I also gained a lot in the planetary ocean session. Talking with Dr. Cai Jingyan (Olivia) from the University of California was a turning point for me. I have always been passionate about both ocean science and aerospace science, and I used to worry that I had to choose one direction. Her research on the satellites of Uranus and the idea of integrating Earth environmental science with aerospace science deeply inspired me and made me determined to take planetary oceanography as my future research direction, combining the two fields I love.
This experience greatly promoted my personal growth. Reading academic papers and communicating with top scholars improved my ability to understand professional knowledge and academic communication. I also got rid of the confusion about future research directions and found a clear goal. I really enjoyed the process of exploring the unknown and listening to cutting-edge ideas, which strengthened my determination to devote myself to planetary science research.”
