From March 24th to 29th, at the invitation of Professor Leon Govaert from Eindhoven University of Technology, Netherlands, Prof. Liangbin Li attended the 2018 Polymer Deformation, Yield and Fracture Conference (DYFP2018) held in Rolduc Abbey, Kerkrade, the Netherlands, and made an invitation report titled: Deformation mechanism in semi-crystalline polymers: the relationship between structural evolution and non-linear mechanical behaviours. PhD students Lin Yuanfei and Tian Fucheng accompanied Prof. Li to attend the meeting. They gave a wall poster to demonstrate their research work.

Since its start in 1970, the international conference on Deformation, Yield and Fracture of Polymers has been held every three years in Churchill College, Cambridge, UK. Amongst the "mechanical properties of polymers" aficionados these meetings have become known as the "Churchill" conferences, an event that has been established as the leading conference on its subject worldwide.With the intention to stimulate the attendance of young scientists, it was decided in 2006 to look for a new venue that would enable a significant reduction in conference and lodging fees. The choice fell on the famous Rolduc Abbey in Kerkrade, in the south east point of the Netherlands. Similar to the previous venue, the Rolduc abbey offers in-house lodging to all the attendants, and thus offers ample opportunity to meet and discuss with fellow scientists.

The conference attracted more than 200 researchers from around the world to participate. During the meeting, the reporters were invited to make recent researches on the mechanical properties of polymers. In the evening, participating students showed their research work through posters and discussed with peer scholars around the world. On the last night of the meeting, all participants participated in a free and in-depth exchange at a party.