43rd ASIAN WELDING FEDERATION MEETINGS IN NANNING, CHINA
The 43rd Asian Welding Federation (AWF) Meetings and the 18th Asian Welding Technology & Applications Forum were successfully hosted by the Welding Institution of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society (Chinese Welding Society, CWS) and the China Welding Association (CWA) from 24 to 27 October 2025 in Nanning, China.
The AWF meetings took place at the Hampton by Hilton Hotel, Nanning, while the Technology & Applications Forum was held at the Guangxi Technological College of Machinery and Electricity.
This biannual AWF event was well attended by delegates from welding societies and institutes across Asia. Full member representatives included the China Welding Association (CWA), Chinese Welding Society (CWS), Indonesian Welding Society (API–IWS), Malaysian Welding and Joining Society (MWJS), Mongolian Material Science and Welding Society (MMSWS), Singapore Welding Society (SWS), The Japan Welding Engineering Society (JWES), Welding Institute of Thailand (WIT), and the Vietnam Welding Society. Associate members in attendance included Beijing ARC Xinxing Science and Technology Co. Ltd. (BAX), the Welding Technology Division of the China Building Material Machinery Association (CBMMA–WTA), the Surfacing and Additive Manufacturing Division of the China Welding Association, and Kampuh Welding Indonesia (Surabaya).
The meetings provided a platform for the various committees and sub-committees to deliberate on key topics such as the Common Welder Certification Scheme (Audit, Documentation, Technical Expert, Implementation, and Certification), standardization and specification development, welding technology and applications, the AWF website, marketing and IT initiatives, education and training, and membership matters. Discussions concluded with the AWF Steering Committee Meeting and the 43rd AWF Governing Council Meeting on 26 October 2025, during which several proposals were reviewed and approved.
The 18th Asian Welding Technology & Applications Forum was held in the impressive auditorium of the Guangxi Technological College of Machinery and Electricity. Welcome and opening remarks were delivered by Prof. Huang Xiaojing, Secretary of the Party Committee of the College; Prof. Zhuguo Li, Vice President of the Chinese Welding Society and Professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University; and Prof. Liu Zhenying, President of the International Alliance of Skills Development for Belt & Road and BRICS, and Vice President of the China Welding Association. The Forum featured eighteen distinguished speakers from across Asia. Mr. Sze Thiam Siong, Past President of SWS and Honorary Secretary General of AWF, delivered an insightful presentation titled “Shaping the Future of Welding Technologies.”
Following the Forum, AWF delegates toured the facilities of the Guangxi Technological College of Machinery and Electricity. The college’s welding curriculum emphasizes not only traditional fusion welding, but also automated and robotic welding, arc additive manufacturing, intelligent production-line design, and digital production management. Its vision is to position welding education as a key component of smart manufacturing, Industry 4.0, and automation— preparing students for industrial welding, robotic welding, and automated production environments.
CWS and CWA graciously hosted the AWF delegates to sumptuous dinners on 24 and 25 October, where the strong camaraderie among AWF members was clearly evident in both the meetings and the social gatherings.
On behalf of SWS, we would like to extend our sincere appreciation to the Welding Institution of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society (Chinese Welding Society) and the China Welding Association for their well-organized and thoughtfully planned events in Nanning. Their commitment, hospitality, and attention to detail contributed greatly to the success of the meetings.
The next AWF meeting is scheduled to be held in Hanoi, Vietnam, in May 2026.
SWS representatives at the meeting
Mr. Sze Thiam Siong, Past President of SWS and Honorary Secretary General of AWF speaking at the 18th Asian Welding Technology & Applications Forum
Mr Sze Thiam Siong presenting a commemorative plaque on behalf of SWS to Prof. Zhuguo Li, Vice President of Chinese Welding Society (CWS)
Mr Sze Thiam Siong presenting a commemorative plaque on behalf of SWS to Prof. Liu Zhenying, Vice President of China Welding Association (CWA)