Speakers

Assoc. Prof. KOJIMA Hiroki

Member, IEEE
Nagoya University, Japa
__________
Subject: Breakdown in vacuum

Brief Bio:

KOJIMA Hiroki (Member, IEEE) is an associate professor at the Nagoya University, Japan. He obtained PhD from the Nagoya University, Japan, in 2004 and joined Nagoya University. His research interests include breakdown, discharge, electrical isolation and high voltage. He is a regular member of Physical Society of Japan and Japan Society of Plasma Science and Nuclear Fusion Research. In recent years, he conducted research on next generation power equipment in harmony with the environment and superconductive power equipment.

Prof. Guan-Jun ZHANG

Member, IEEE
Xi’an Jiaotong University, China
__________
Subject: Surface flashover in vacuum

Brief Bio:

Guan-Jun Zhang was born in Weifang, Shandong, China in 1970. He received B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU), Xi’an, China, in 1991, 1994 and 2001, respectively. He is currently a full professor at School of Electrical Engineering, XJTU, China, and the director of Center for Advanced High Voltage and Plasma Technology. His main interests cover high voltage insulation and discharge characteristics, discharge plasmas and multi-disciplinary applications, etc. He has been visiting researcher at Tokyo Institute of Technology, visiting scientist at Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, JSPS fellow at Saitama University, and visiting professor at University of Southampton. He has published more than 200 journal papers, delivered 40+ invited conferences talks and held 50+ patents. Dr. Zhang received the Distinguished Young Scholar of National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Chatterton Young Investigator Award at IEEE 23rd International Symposium on Discharges and Electrical Insulation in Vacuum (ISDEIV), Fok Ying Tong Research Award for University Young Teachers of China Ministry of Education (MOE), and National Top 100 Excellent Doctoral Dissertation Award of China MOE, etc.

Prof. Raymond Boxman

Fellow, IEEE
Tel Aviv University, Israel
__________
Subject: English writing

Brief Bio:

Raymond L. Boxman is a distinguished electrical engineer renowned for his pioneering work in vacuum arc technology. He earned his S.B., S.M., and Ph.D. from MIT (1969–1973). After working as a Senior Research Engineer at General Electric (1973–1975), he joined Tel Aviv University, co-founding the Electrical Discharge and Plasma Laboratory. His research focused on applying arc plasma to material processing, including thin-film deposition and surface treatments. Notable achievements include the 1984 Joffee Foundation Award for pulsed vacuum arc deposition, IEEE Fellowship (1989), and the Walter Dyke Award (2000) for contributions to vacuum arc science. Boxman held leadership roles in international conferences, edited key journals, and authored the Handbook of Vacuum Arc Science and Technology. He invented a transparent microwave oven window, commercialized via Clear Wave Ltd., and contributed to microwave power research. At Tel Aviv University, he held the Kranzberg Chair of Plasma Engineering and administrative roles before retiring in 2015.

Prof. Guan-Jun ZHANG

Member, IEEE
Xi’an Jiaotong University, China

Title: Surface secondary electron emission and charge trap parameters: physics, measurement and applications

Brief Bio:

Guan-Jun Zhang, is a professor at Xi’an Jiaotong University's School of Electrical Engineering and director of its Advanced High Voltage and Plasma Technology Center. He earned B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from XJTU (1991, 1994, 2001). Specializing in high-voltage insulation, plasma applications, and discharge physics, he has held research positions at Tokyo Tech, Princeton University, and Southampton University. A recipient of the NSFC Distinguished Young Scholar Award and IEEE ISDEIV Chatterton Award, he has authored 200+ papers, delivered 40+ invited talks, and holds 50+ patents. His honors include China’s Top 100 Doctoral Dissertation Award and MOE Fok Ying Tong Research Award.

Prof. Efim Oks

Fellow, IEEE
Tomsk State University, Russia

Title: Fore-vacuum plasma source of electrons

Brief Bio:

Efim Oks, PhD (1985) and Doctor of Science (1994) in Plasma Electronics, is Head of the Physics Department at Tomsk State University and leads the Plasma Sources Laboratory at the Institute of High Current Electronics. Renowned for pioneering vacuum arc discharge studies, he focuses on generating multiply charged metal ions, advancing ion sources, and developing plasma electron sources. His collaborative work includes high-charge ion injector projects at Germany’s GSI and vacuum arc research at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. His current research explores high-current pulsed electron beams in high-pressure forevacuum environments (1–100 Pa) and their applications in modifying dielectric materials (ceramics, glass, polymers). His talk addresses beam formation, plasma dynamics, and practical innovations.

Dr. Helena Kaufmann

Research Engineer
Siemens Energy Global GmbH & Co. KG

Title: Plasma-cathode interaction in vacuum, unipolar and high-pressure arcs

Brief Bio:

Helena Kaufmann received the M. Sci. degree (incorporating bachelor’s level study) in physics from the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, U.K., in 2012, and the Ph. D. degree from the University of Madeira, Portugal, in 2019. Her thesis focused on theory and modeling of the plasma-cathode interaction in vacuum and unipolar arcs. She was a researcher and teaching assistant with the Physics Department, University of Madeira, from 2019 to 2022. In October 2022, she joined Siemens Energy as a research engineer and is currently involved in the development of vacuum interrupters.

Dr. Huantong SHI

Xi’an Jiaotong University, China

Title: Wire-shorted rod-pinch diode for flash x-ray radiography and dynamic x-ray diffraction

Brief Bio:

Huantong Shi, is a professor at Xi'an Jiaotong University's School of Electrical Engineering. He received the B.S. and Ph. D degrees in electrical engineering from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, in 2012 and 2017, respectively. He published 30+ papers, holds 10+ patents, and authored 1 monograph on electrical wire explosion funded by the National Publication Foundation (as the second author). His main research interests include pulsed power technology and plasma physics. He participated in the development of load diagnostic platform for the National Major Science and Technology Infrastructure on electromagnetically driven fusion.