Prof. Zhong YOU from University of Oxford (UK) was invited to give an academic presentation entitled ‘‘Origami and Its Engineering Applications’’ at the School of Mechanical Engineering (SME), Jiangsu University. Prof. Naifei Ren, the Dean of the School, welcomed Prof. You and chaired his presentation. More than 100 attendees from the SME and other Schools attended this seminar.

Prof. You’s presentation summarized his cutting-edge research in origami and its engineering applications, which was published in the top journals such as Science. He noted that origami, which originated from Japan, is the art of folding essentially 2D materials like paper into 3D objects, and it has recently gained popularity among scientists and engineers as the technique can be used to create shape-changing structures. Prof. You briefly outlined the method for modelling origami and then focused on the creation of novel structures using origami (these origami structures have wide engineering applications ranging from deployable aerospace structures, civilian shelters, and military installations to energy absorption structures). He introduced the design and realisation of novel deployable structures (a type of unconventional structures capable of large shape changes). He also emphasized how to underlie the principles governing the large geometrical transformations of these structures. Finally, Prof. You answered the questions raised by the attendees. The attendees were impressed by Prof. You’s talk and his academic seriousness, passion, and interest in origami.