A group of 23 ISS members, including Professors Charis Gantes and Pavlos Thanopoulos, visited the Civil Engineering Department of Southeast University in Nanjing, China, to attend the “2025 China–Greece Joint Workshop on Advanced Deployable Structures for Rescue Operations in Extreme Environments”. In the face of natural disasters and extreme environmental conditions, the need for resilient, adaptable, and rapidly deployable engineering solutions has never been greater. Deployable structures – lightweight systems capable of swift assembly, disassembly, and transformation – play a vital role in providing emergency shelters, temporary bridges, and adaptive infrastructure during crises. By combining structural efficiency with mobility, these systems enable effective responses to urgent humanitarian and environmental challenges.

Building upon a foundation of international collaboration, the program contributed towards answering pressing questions: How can deployable systems be designed to withstand the demands of extreme environments? What innovative materials, mechanisms, and design methodologies can make them more reliable, adaptable, and scalable?

Teams of Chinese and Greek students partnered to explore innovative design strategies for rapidly deployable shelters, emergency bridges, and adaptive infrastructure. They proposed innovative deployable structures concepts, integrating architectural, engineering, and disaster management perspectives for holistic solutions. Moreover, they built physical models, thus acquiring hands-on experience, and presented their ideas in a closing event.

A highlight of the workshop was a special lecture day, which brought together eight distinguished international experts, providing a diverse perspective on deployable systems, lightweight structures, advanced materials, and innovative applications for extreme environments. Through these talks, participants gained a deeper understanding of current research directions, practical challenges, and emerging opportunities in the field. On the lecture day Prof. Gantes was awarded the title of Visiting Professor of Southeast University in a prestigious ceremony.

In addition to the workshop activities, several technical visits as well as social and cultural events were organized, strengthening the cooperation and mutual understanding between the two groups. All ISS participants extend their warmest appreciation to Southeast University for organizing and hosting this event, and in particular to Professor Jianguo Cai (https://civil.seu.edu.cn/cjg_en/list.htm) and Dr. Marco Meloni for their warm hospitality.