"There are many new topics emerging from China and the US. And if they (researchers from the two countries) can work together, their collaboration is likely to yield positive outcomes."

The event, hosted by the iSchools organization, is an annual gathering dedicated to advancing the field of information technology and preparing students to meet new challenges.

The iConference is of a consortium of 91 information schools worldwide, including the University of Toronto, the University of Melbourne and the University of Washington.

"It's one of the top conferences covering research in library and information science," Wu says.

Last year, the iConference was held at Wuhan University, the first time it was held in China. And next year, the University of Maryland will host the event.

Meanwhile, Lu, who hopes to participate in next year's event, says: "I have learned to delve deeper and be more confident and articulate during my presentations. I want to attend next year's conference, not only to broaden my horizons, but also to gain inspiration for future research."