On June 4, 2025, at the invitation of professor Zhou Xuhong and professor Xu Fei from the School of Civil Engineering at Chongqing University, professor Derek Elsworth, chief professor G. Albert Shoemaker at the Penn State College of Engineering, member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, and foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, visited the school. Professor Derek Elsworth delivered an academic lecture titled “Constraints on Triggered Seismicity and Controls on Permeability Evolution.” Professor Gan Quan from the School of Resources and Safety Engineering, professor Yang Qingshan, chair of the School of Civil Engineering, professor Xu Fei, director of the Structural Engineering Research Institute, professor Bao Ting, associate professor Wu Huanran, and over thirty representatives of faculty and students from related research fields attended the lecture. The meeting was chaired by professor Xu Fei.

In his opening speech, professor Yang Qingshan extended a warm welcome to professor Derek Elsworth and introduced the school’s development history, disciplinary strengths, faculty team, and scientific research achievements. During the lecture, professor Derek Elsworth systematically elaborated on the key hazards of underground fluid activities inducing earthquakes, emphasizing their impact on stratum permeability. He pointed out that effectively mitigating risks requires an in-depth understanding of core controlling factors such as fault strength and friction stability. He also demonstrated the application experimental models and achievement transformation of the research results led by the team in major projects in Sichuan, China, and the United States, etc.

During his visit, professor Derek Elsworth toured the editorial office of the journal Energy Infrastructure (English) and engaged in in-depth discussions with professor Zhou Xuhong, editor-in-chief of the journal, professor Wang Yuhang, executive editor-in-chief, professor Xu Fei, deputy executive editor-in-chief, professor Yang Qingshan, deputy editor-in-chief, and editorial board member professor Gan Quan. Both sides explored key topics such as the journal’s founding positioning, development goals, and future development path.