On the morning of June 24, the 2026 IEEE PELS DAY Academic Seminar was successfully held at the Lecture Hall 217 of the Department of Electrical Engineering. The event was guided by the IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS) China Membership Committee, organized by the PELS Beijing Chapter, hosted by the PELS Tsinghua University Student Branch, and co-organized by the PELS Beijing Jiaotong University Student Branch, PELS North China Electric Power University Student Branch, PELS North China University of Technology Student Branch, and the Tsinghua University Member Center of the Chinese Society for Electrical Engineering.

The seminar featured academic presentations by three distinguished speakers: Professor Richard Zhang (Xiaosong Zhang), Director of the Center for Power Electronics Systems (CPES) at Virginia Tech; Professor Wang Laili from Xi’an Jiaotong University; and Professor Wang Yijie from Harbin Institute of Technology. The event was attended by Zheng Zedong, Secretary of the CPC Committee of the Department of Electrical Engineering at Tsinghua University; Sun Kai, Chair of the IEEE PELS China Membership Committee; as well as more than 40 faculty members, students, and researchers from Tsinghua University, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beihang University, Beijing Institute of Technology, Hebei University of Technology, the Institute of Electrical Engineering of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Envision Energy, and other institutions. The seminar was chaired by Su Bowen, Vice Chair of the IEEE PELS Tsinghua University Student Branch.

Group photo of participants at the seminar

Su Bowen presided over the seminar

Zheng Zedong delivered the opening remarks. He noted that power electronics technologies and industries have witnessed rapid development in recent years. As an indispensable key technology in fields such as renewable energy generation, new power systems, and electric transportation, power electronics has become increasingly important. In particular, with the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, the growing demand for power infrastructure from computing centers has created new opportunities for the development of power electronics technologies. He expressed the hope that experts, faculty members, and students would make full use of PELS as a high-level platform for academic exchange, strengthen discussions and collaboration, and jointly advance the development of power electronics technologies. He also expressed his appreciation to all volunteers of the PELS Beijing Chapter for their efforts in ensuring the successful organization of the event.

Zheng Zedong delivered opening remarks

Sun Kai delivered the opening remarks. He reviewed the background and development history of IEEE PELS, introduced the services and benefits provided by PELS to its members, and expressed his gratitude to the experts and volunteers participating in the PELS DAY event.

Sun Kai delivered remarks

IEEE Fellow Professor Richard Zhang from Virginia Tech was the first keynote speaker. He introduced the Center for Power Electronics Systems (CPES) and delivered a keynote presentation entitled “Fundamentals of Solid-State Transformer and Energy Router—Applications and Technologies.” The presentation introduced the operating principles of solid-state transformers and energy routers, systematically reviewed their historical development and innovation pathways, presented the latest research achievements of CPES in the field of solid-state transformers, and looked ahead to potential technological breakthroughs and future application scenarios in this area.

Professor Richard Zhang delivering the presentation

IEEE PELS Asia-Pacific Distinguished Lecturer and Professor Wang Laili from Xi’an Jiaotong University delivered an online presentation entitled “Research on Failure Mechanisms and Characterization of Key Parameters in Power Semiconductor Device Packaging.” The presentation explored packaging failure mechanisms and detection methods for power semiconductor devices from four perspectives: multi-time-scale computation, interconnect degradation mechanisms, insulation degradation mechanisms, and integrated current sensing. It also shared cutting-edge research on multi-time-scale electrothermal stress simulation and the effects of thermal stress and insulation conditions on device lifetime.

Professor Wang Laili delivering an online presentation

IEEE PELS Asia-Pacific Distinguished Lecturer and Professor Wang Yijie from Harbin Institute of Technology delivered a presentation entitled “Development and Challenges of Wireless Energy and Signal Synchronous Transmission Technologies.” The presentation introduced the key differences and application scenarios of various wireless transmission approaches, including near-field wireless power transfer, far-field transmission, and laser-based transmission. It also explained different architectures of wireless transmission systems and shared the latest research progress in parallel transmission, high-speed low-latency transmission, and electromagnetic-field energy decoupling.

Professor Wang Yijie delivering the presentation

Afterwards, Pang Jupeng, a PhD student from the Department of Electrical Engineering, shared his experience in applying for the IEEE PELS Graduate Studies Fellowship, including the fellowship evaluation criteria, preparation of application materials, and key application timelines.

Pang Jupeng sharing fellowship application experience

During the discussion session, the invited speakers engaged in lively academic exchanges with participating faculty members, students, and researchers on emerging technologies such as solid-state transformers (SST). The seminar featured an active and engaging atmosphere.

Participants engaging in academic discussions

Introduction to PELS DAY: The IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS) is one of the world’s most influential professional organizations in the field of power electronics, with more than 14,000 members worldwide. Established on June 20, 1987, this date has since been designated as PELS DAY. Every year, local chapters and student branches around the world organize a variety of activities, including seminars, distinguished lectures, industrial visits, student presentations, competitions, and other events to celebrate PELS DAY.