The International Symposium on Frontier of Superconductivity Research (VIII) — Advances in Exploration of Novel Superconductors was held by the National Lab for Superconductivity (NLSC) in the Institute of Physics (IOP) of the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) from October 24–27, 2019. Prof. Zhou Xingjiang, director of NLSC, served as the chairman of the symposium, and Prof. Jin Kui, deputy director of NLSC, served as the vice chairman. Attendees of the symposium discussed theoretical predictions, experimental findings, material preparations, physical properties and future applications of novel superconducting materials in a broad and in-depth manner.

16 experts studying superconducting materials from home and abroad were invited to give presentations. They introduced in detail the research progress of cuprate superconductors, iron-based superconductors, heavy fermion superconductors, two-dimensional superconductors, as well as the high-pressure hydrogen-rich system and the magic-angle graphene superconductors which have recently aroused wide attention. They shared personal experience in the research of unconventional superconductors, reported the latest finding, and discussed the prospect of various new control and measurement methods in the field of superconductivity. In the end, Prof. Paul Chu (Chu Ching-wu) from University of Houston made a summary. This themed symposium, animated and full of discussions and exchanges, attracted more than 200 attendees. It provided an opportunity for Chinese and foreign scientists to communicate and cooperate with each other in exploring novel superconducting materials and studying their physics and mechanism. It also built a favorable platform for teachers and students in the field of superconductors to follow the development trend of novel superconducting materials and seize research opportunities in time.

The invited speakers were as follows: Prof. Paul Chu of University of Houston, Prof. Yoshihiro Iwasa of The University of Tokyo, Prof. Brian Maple of University of California, San Diego, Prof. Katsuya Shimizu of Osaka University, Prof. Xue Qikun of Tsinghua University, Prof. Chen Xianhui of University of Science and Technology of China, Prof. Ma Yanming of Jilin University, Prof. Cao Guanghan of Zhejiang University, Prof. Wang Jian of Peking University, Prof. Zhang Yuanbo of Fudan University, Ma Yanwei, researcher of Institute of Electrical Engineering, CAS, and researchers from IOP, including Xiang Tao, Zhang Guangyu, Jin Changqing, Dong Xiaoli and Jin Kui.

From 2011, NLSC organizes an international symposium on the frontier of superconductivity research every year, focusing on an important theme in this field. From 2011–2017, there have been seven consecutive symposiums: "Exploration of Novel Superconductors", "ARPES on Unconventional Superconductors", "Neutron Scattering on Unconventional Superconductors", "STM on Unconventional Superconductors", "Transport and Thermodynamic Properties on Unconventional Superconductors", "NMR and μSR on Unconventional Superconductors" and "Optical Spectroscopy on Unconventional Superconductors". These symposiums have promoted the exchange and cooperation of superconducting research at home and abroad. They have attracted researchers and students at NLSC and IOP, as well as those from other universities and research institutes in China.