Prof. Barzin Mobasher, from the Arizona State University, discussed the current challenges and issues in testing complex mineral-bonded composites. Prof. En-Hua Yang, from Nanyang Technological University, presented some fundamental concepts related to micromechanics of engineered cementitious composites, alongside cutting-edge research recently conducted in this field. Dr. Eric Jacques shared part of the research conducted in his team at Virginia Tech on protective structural design, taking the effects of the dramatic explosion in Beirut, in 2018, as a starting point. From RTG 2250 group, inspiring lectures were delivered by Prof. Stefan Löhnert, head of the Institute of Mechanics and Shell Structures at the TUD, on advanced numerical tools to investigate the complex fracture mechanisms of quasi-ductile cement-based composites, and by Prof. Edeltraud Günther, current Director of the United Nations University – FLORES in Dresden, on new concepts related to sustainability and resilience of the built environment, encompassing novel materials and technologies for structural rehabilitation.