16th International Conference of the International Association for Computer Methods and Advances in Geomechanics (IACMAG) was held in Torino, Italy recently. SCE professor Xiao Yang won Excellent Regional Contributions Award for his outstanding contributions to the field of microbiological reinforcement of soil mechanical properties, Dr. Wu Huanran won John Carter Award) for his outstanding research potential in the field of rock and soil mechanics.

Based on the deliberations at the 6th international Conference on Numerical Methods in Geomechanics at Innsbruck, Austria, in 1988, the International Association for Computer Methods and Advances in Geomechanics (IACMAG) was established. This association grew out of the “International Committee on Numerical Methods in Geomechanics” that was established in 1976, founded largely due to the initiative of Dr Chandrakant Desai and colleagues.  It has organized successful international conferences approximately every three to four years since then.