16 Sep 2025
Dr. Ankit Garg, Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, School of Science at XJTLU (XJTLU) was honoured to have participated in the 6th International Conference organized by the Kazakhstan Geotechnical Society (KGS) and the Japanese Geotechnical Society (JGS), with support from the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE).
Presentation of research work during the International Conference
Some of the key highlights from the event
Inauguration of the Excellent International Young Minds in Geotechnics (EIYMG) awards and honouring 2025 winners: It was a thrill to launch and announce the first-ever EIYMG awardees during the closing ceremony of an International Conference! This initiative was launched jointly by Dr Garg along with Prof. Askar Zhussupbekov (Chairman of TC 305, ISSMGE) and Prof. Assel Tulebekova (Eurasian National University, Kazakhstan).
Prof Askar Zhussupbekov (Chairman ISSMGE TC 305; Convener of the International Conference), along with Dr Bharat Rattan (Former student; with ISSMGE Bright Spark Lecture Award) and me.
During the closing ceremony, Dr Garg revealed the names of 2025 EIYMG winners that include young researchers from the US (Dr Amlesh Jana, Montana State University), Russia (Dr Svetlana Kravechenko, Southern Federal University), China (Dr Feng Song, Fuzhou University and Dr Tan-Dao Yuan, Nanjing University), and Finland (Dr Sanandam Bordoloi, Aalto University). He also acknowledged Prof Louis Ge (Secretary, ISSMGE TC 305) and Prof Der Wen Chang (Corresponding member of TC 305) for their advisory role and selection process.
Inauguration of the EIYMG 2025 International Award during the International Conference
Declaration of EIYMG 2025 Winners
A Proud Mentor Moment for Celebrating a Former PhD Scholar's Prestigious Award
Dr. Garg stated” “It was a tremendous joy to witness my former PhD scholar, Dr. Bharat Rattan (now at the Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen), receive the prestigious ISSMGE Bright Spark Lecture Award during the conference. His award-winning presentation on the ecological restoration of mine tailings demonstrated how a robust research foundation leads to global acclaim. This achievement underscores the immense value of multi-disciplinary training and international exposure during doctoral studies.” Additionally, I had the privilege of hosting Dr. Rattan for a research exchange in my group in China during his PhD program at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati. It was incredibly rewarding to see our years of collaboration culminate in this international honour and in several co-publications in high-impact international journals such as the Soil Science Society of America Journal, Plant and Soil, and Soil and Tillage Research. Furthermore, a joint publication from our work received the best paper award from the UNESCO Chair holder in Water Management in Central Asia two years ago.
*Award Winning Lecture: Stabilization and Ecological Restoration of Tailings: Addressing Key Challenges and Future Opportunities
Bharat Rattan, Ankit Garg, Sreedeep S, Chen Rui
Chairing a session at an International Conference
Dr. Gard also had the privilege of chairing a conference session alongside Dr. Rafael Sharafutdinov, Director of the Gersevanov Research Institute of Bases and Underground Structures (Russia), further enriching the international dialogue for the School of Science at XJTLU. Furthermore, he presented the joint research conducted with a fellow faculty (Prof Neelima Satyam, IIT Indore) and undergraduate students (Mr Anuj Pal and Mr Akash Ramenini) from the IIT Indore and engaged with delegates from over 30 countries on cutting-edge topics like digital twins, AI, and BIM in geotechnics. Mr Akash Ramenini also conducted a research exchange in my group last year. I congratulate Prof Askar Zhussupbekov and his team for organizing such a brilliant conference. The experience at an International Conference underscores that such achievements are truly a team effort, built upon a culture of international collaboration and excellence.
Moreover, the success story of his former PhD Scholar provided a perfect opportunity for Dr. Garg to highlight the role of the various international programmes initiated by the School of Science and Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), such as the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) and our Visiting Research Student Programme. These initiatives are designed to foster global research exchange and provide invaluable international and multi-disciplinary exposure to the next generation of scholars.
About Dr Ankit Garg
Dr Ankit Garg recently joined the Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, School of Science at XJTLU. A globally recognized scholar in Soil Remediation and Treatment using Biochar and AI, he is actively recruiting highly talented Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD students for his research lab. There is currently a PhD position available in his group on the topic "Biochar-Mediated Enhancement of Bioelectricity Generation and Water Retention in Plant Microbial Fuel Cells (PMFCs): An Integrated Experimental and AI Approach"
(Click read more to see the project information)
Link: https://www.xjtlu.edu.cn/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/FOSA2506018_AnkitGarg_Science.pdf ).
Students who wish to pursue a PhD or a Short-term exchange through the Visiting Research Student Programme are welcome to contact Dr Garg directly (Email: Ankit.Garg@xjtlu.edu.cn)
Content：Dr Ankit Garg
Review：Professor John Moraros、Dr Ankit Garg
Translation：Luyao
16 Sep 2025