Recently, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) officially announced the approval list for the 2025 Outstanding Foreign Doctoral Students Research Support Project. The project applied by Ghimire Prateek, a 2023-batch doctoral international student in the Department of Civil Engineering, School of Ocean and Civil Engineering (OCE), has been successfully approved. This year, a total of 6 projects from the entire university received this funding.

The approved project, entitled "Effect and Regulation of Pore Solution Composition on Efflorescence Formation in Calcium-rich Alkali-activated Binders,” focuses on addressing key technical challenges regarding the durability of low-carbon building materials. Currently, alkali-activated materials, as green alternatives to ordinary Portland cement, have attracted widespread attention due to their potential to reduce carbon emissions by 50%-80%. However, their long-term durability, particularly the issue of efflorescence remains one of the major constraints hindering their large-scale application. Efflorescence refers to the phenomenon where alkalis within the material migrate to the surface through moisture transport and react with carbon dioxide in the air to form carbonate crystals. This phenomenon not only affects aesthetic appearance but also leads to internal structural damage and strength degradation, seriously threatening the safety and service life of building structures. Addressing this challenge, the project aims to investigate the fundamental mechanisms of efflorescence from an innovative perspective of pore solution chemistry, elucidating the critical influence of the concentration ratio between alkali ions and aluminum ions on efflorescence behavior in calcium-rich systems. The research outcomes are expected to significantly promote the broader application of low-carbon alkali-activated materials and contribute to sustainable development in the construction industry.  

The successful approval of this project reflects the NSFC’s recognition of Ghimire Prateek's scientific research and innovation capabilities, and also demonstrates the University’s strong international research environment and achievements in talent cultivation within frontier research fields.

Ghimire Prateek is a 2023-batch doctoral student in the Department of Civil Engineering, School of Ocean and Civil Engineering, supervised by Professor Qing-feng Liu. He came from  Nepal and has studied in China for 11 years, receiving the Chinese Government Scholarship for Outstanding International Students multiple times. He is a member of several academic organizations, including the International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems and Structures (RILEM), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and the American Concrete Institute (ACI). His main research focuses on novel low-carbon cementitious materials and concrete durability. To date, he has published 10 SCI-indexed papers in leading journals in the field of civil engineering, such as Cement Concrete Res., Cement Concrete Comp., Constr. Build. Mater., Mater. Struct., ASCE Mater., with over 190 citations and an H-index of 7. He has delivered academic presentations at international conferences, including the Asian Concrete Federation (ACF) Annual Conference, the European Advanced Materials Congress (EAMC), and the International Conference on Concrete Construction and Technology (ICCCT). In addition, he has published opinion and analytical articles in Nepal’s A-level media outlets to promote China’s development experience, co-authored books on China–Nepal relations, and has been actively contributing to initiatives aimed at building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Prof Qing-feng LIU is Ghimire Prateek’s Ph.D. supervisor, who leads a research group of 30+ members at SJTU, mainly working on durability and sustainability of concrete materials and structures, and has got approved 22 major government-funded research projects as PI, including 5 funds from National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), 1 fund from National Key R&D Program of China, and 6 talent programs from China central government or local municipality. Prof Liu has published more than 170 peer-review papers including 143 SCI-indexed journal articles and received 6000+ citations with h-index of 47 and i10-index of 90. Prof Liu is one of the two 2022 Gustavo Colonnetti Medallists issued by RILEM, and also has won a list of national authoritative awards such as China Distinguished Young Scholars Program by NSFC, China Building Materials Science & Technology Award by CBMF, China Youth Science & Technology Award by CCS, and China Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship by CAST, etc. In addition, 19 of his first/sole-corresp.-authored articles was elected as ESI highly cited paper by Web of Science, which make him be within the world's top 2% scientists (single-year/career-long) list by Stanford & Elsevier since 2021. Qing-feng LIU also serves as associate editor/editorial board member for 12 renown journals, e.g., Cement & Concrete Composites (IF=13.1), Materials and Structures (IF= 3.9), as well as lead-guest-editor for several other international journals. He also serves as committee member for FIB, ICE, IStructE, ASCE, ACI, CCS, CCES, ASC and CHINCOLD, Last but not the least, Dr Liu is also an Officer (TAC Expert) and Senior Member of RILEM, and contributed actively in 12 ongoing/past TCs including TC-MCT, TC 270-CIM, TC 283-CAM, TC 285-TMS, TC-297 DOC, TC-313 MMS, etc.