Zhejiang University (ZJU) in China and Rice University (RU) in the United States bear many similarities both geographically and in terms of their emphasis on high-level science and technology. Developing an institutional cooperation between the two Universities was advocated by RU's President David W. Leebron and ZJU's President Pan Yunhe during their meeting in Hangzhou in July 2004.

The primary purpose of this workshop is to explore such a long-term cooperation in the area of quantum matter. This frontier subject concerns modern condensed matter and atomic systems, in which quantum correlation and quantum coherence strongly influence their physical properties. The workshop will bring together theoretical and experimental researchers from the two Universities and elsewhere. It will address the novel phenomena recently discovered in a wide range of quantum materials, especially the strongly correlated electron systems, nanostructures and ultracold atoms. The Workshop is also aimed to stimulate and encourage more junior scientists to engage in research on quantum matter.