Prof Huijun Li obtained a PhD degree in 1996 from the University of Wollongong; He has 22 years research experience in materials science and engineering. He has published more than 300 papers in the field of welding metallurgy, new alloy development, surface engineering, nuclear materials and microstructure characterization.

In 1995, he joined CRC Materials Welding and Joining as a postdoctoral research fellow at University of Wollongong. In 2000, he took a research scientist position at Materials Division, ANSTO (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation), he worked on a wide range of research projects in conjunction with the CRC Welded Structures, CRC CAST3, CRC Rail, British nuclear research organisations and American national laboratories. Prof. Li started working at University of Wollongong from July 2008; he is a chief researcher with Defence Materials Technology Centre (DMTC), Energy Pipeline CRC (EPCRC), Australian Research Council supported Training Centre for “Transforming Australia's Naval Manufacturing Industry”, “The Australian Steel Manufacturing Research Hub”, Rail Manufacturing CRC and several other industry funded projects.

Prof Li was in the research team awarded Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Outstanding Science in Safeguarding Australia，2013, he was also awarded Australia Endeavour Fellowship 2014, Defence Materials Technology Centre - Capability Improvement Awards 2014, and Defence Materials Technology Centre – The Best Project Leader Awards 2016.