On April 1, Ricardo F. Martinez-Botas, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Associate Dean(Partnerships), Faculty of Engineering, Imperial College, was invited to visit Shanghai Jiao Tong University and presented the theme “How did I get here? A journey in academia for the benefit of society and what about net zero?” as the guest speaker of the 211th Master Distinguished Lecture. Professor Zhaohui Du and Professor Lei Zhu, Dean and Vice Dean of the School of Mechanical Engineering, and more than 100 audiences attended the Lecture. The event was organized by the Graduate School of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and co-organized by the School of Mechanical Engineering.

In the theme speech, Ricardo F. Martinez-Botas introduced the start, growth and excitement of my academic career at Imperial College over the past 30 years, how did it develop through the different stages of academic progression? What are the learning lessons and takeaways that can be helpful to those starting, developing or already advanced on this exciting journey? He also included a discussion of his wide experience of creating impact towards Industry and how best to manage their expectations and provide value! Finally, a technical discussion was discussed briefly the 'The Journey towards Net Zero' particularly in transportation systems, this will be done via the exploration of 'The CO2 Equation'.

Following the speeches, K Ricardo F. Martinez-Botas and participants had an interactive discussion and exchanges based on the topic.