Innovative research across disciplines

Zhejiang University is one of China’s top research universities, with 18 of its academic disciplines – including chemistry, computer science and engineering – ranked within the top 1 per cent* of higher education institutions anywhere in the world.

Source: Academic Impact Ranking, Essential Science Indicators (ESI).

Among the many and varied research-driven discoveries and innovations that Zhejiang can lay claim to, a number stand out.

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The World's Lightest Material

‘Carbon aerogel’ is the lightest material in the world, with a density one-sixth that of air and possessing extraordinary structural toughness.  It was invented by a research team at ZJU, led by Professor Chao Gao from the Department of Polymer Science and Engineering.

 

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Long-life LEDs

In 2014, a multidisciplinary team at Zhejiang University discovered how to extend the operational lifespan of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), to that of 100,000 hours over and above normal usage levels. Research underpinning the high-performance, next-generation LEDs received widespread media coverage, including within the scientific journal Nature, and others.

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Microsatellites

Multidisciplinary innovations in aerospace, electronics, machinery, and control science at ZJU have contributed to the development of Chinese microsatellites and nanosatellites, which have been successfully deployed in China’s next-generation space flight missions. 

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