Tsinghua University School of Environment celebrates its 40th anniversary, Dr. Hou Feng, Chairman, was invited to speak

On April 27, 2024, on the occasion of the 113th anniversary celebration of the founding of Tsinghua University, the 40th anniversary celebration of the School of Environment and the Environment and Sustainable Development Forum of Tsinghua University were held in the back hall of the central main building of Tsinghua University. Hou Feng, Chairman of China Water Environment Group, was invited to attend the inaugural Engineering PhD program of the School of Environment. He celebrated the 40th anniversary of the School of Environment with government leaders, academicians and scholars, heads and representatives of various research institutes, heads of environmental departments in various universities, representatives of well-known domestic and foreign enterprises, and alumni.

The main venue for the 40th anniversary celebration of Tsinghua Environmental College

Speech by Academician Li Luming, President of Tsinghua University

Speech by Zhao Yingmin, Deputy Minister of Ecology and Environment

Academician Li Luming, President of Tsinghua University, and Vice Minister of Ecology and Environment Zhao Yingmingave speeches.

Thomas Sargent, winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Economics and professor at New York University

Dialogue between Michael Spencer, winner of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Economics and Professor at Stanford University in the United States, and Liu Shuming, Dean of the School of Environment

Thomas Sargent, a 2011 Nobel laureate in economics and professor at New York University, and Michael Spencer, a 2001 Nobel laureate in economics and professor at Stanford University in the United States, remotely congratulated the School of Environment on its 40th anniversary and shared his thoughts.

Qu Jiuhui, Academician of the CAE Member, Distinguished Professor of Tsinghua University, and Researcher of the Ecological Environment Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, made a guiding report

Wang Jinnan, academician of the CAE Member, honorary president of the Environmental Planning Institute of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, chairman of the Chinese Society of Environmental Sciences, and outstanding alumnus of the School of Environment of Tsinghua University, made a guiding report

Qu Jiuhui, an academician of the CAE Member, a distinguished professor of Tsinghua University, a researcher of the Ecological Environment Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Wang Jinnan, an academician of the CAE Member, an honorary president of the Environmental Planning Institute of the Ministry of Ecological Environment, the president of the Chinese Society of Environmental Sciences, and an outstanding alumnus of the School of Environment of Tsinghua University, respectively made guidance reports on "Environmental Engineering Science and Its First Principles" and "Ecological Environment Science and Technology Outlook for Beautiful China".

Qian Yi, an academician of the CAE Member and a professor of Tsinghua University, Duan Ning, an academician of the CAE Member and a professor of Tongji University, Yu Hanqing, an academician of the CAE Member and a professor of the University of Science and Technology of China, He Hong, an academician of the CAE Member and a researcher of the Ecological Environment Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xu Zuxin, an academician of the CAE Member and a professor of Tongji University, Ren Hongqiang, an academician of the CAE Member and a professor of Nanjing University, Feng Qi, an academician of the CAE Member and a researcher of the Northwest Institute of Ecological Environment and Resources of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Gao Xiang, an academician of the CAE Member and president of Zhejiang Exchange speeches around the theme of environment and sustainable development.

Dr. Hou Feng, Chairman of China Water Environment Group, as a representative of the first engineering doctoral program, stated in a video speech at the conference that "my learning experience at Tsinghua University has an indelible significance for my life, and I am proud of it.".

Leaders from relevant departments and directly affiliated units of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Chinese Civil Engineering Society, the Beijing Tianjin Hebei National Technology Innovation Center, and other units and organizations; Leaders of environmental departments in 56 universities, including Peking University, Harbin Institute of Technology, Tongji University, and Zhejiang University; Leaders and representatives of research institutes such as the Chinese Academy of Environmental Sciences, the Planning Institute of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, and the Institute of Atmosphere, Institute of Biology, and Institute of Processes of the Center for Ecology and Environment of the Chinese Academy of Sciences; More than 20 national partners, representatives of well-known domestic and foreign enterprises, as well as more than 80 domestic and foreign alumni representatives and retired college professors attended the conference.

On site of the 3rd Environmental Engineering Technology Development and Innovation Forum

Opening Speech by Professor Yue Dongbei, Vice Dean of the School of Environment at Tsinghua University

Associate Professor Zhang Xiaoyuan (left) from the School of Environment at Tsinghua University and Chairman of China Water Environment Group Hou Feng (right) exchanged ideas at the meeting

At the third Forum on the Development and Innovation of Environmental Engineering Science and Technology held during the anniversary celebration, Professor Yue Dongbei, Vice Dean of the School of Environment at Tsinghua University, delivered an opening speech, with Zhang Xiaoyuan, Associate Professor of the School of Environment at Tsinghua University, presiding over the meeting. Chairman Hou Feng was invited to give a keynote speech titled "Distributed Sinking Regenerated Water Ecosystem Helps Build Future Green New Infrastructure". He first expressed his sincere congratulations and deep gratitude for the 40th anniversary celebration of the college, especially the important support provided by the excellent faculty of the Environmental College in promoting national standards and demonstration projects in the technical system.

Speech by Hou Feng, Chairman of the Group

He recalled during his doctoral studies that he deeply felt the various drawbacks of centralized above ground sewage treatment plants in the process of urbanization. He keenly felt that the distributed underground reclaimedwater system was facing the development needs of China's water supply and drainage system, which was a direction for the future development of sewage treatment resource utilization. Therefore, under the care and guidance of Academician Qian Yi, Professor Wang Kaijun, and others, he determined the research direction of undergroundfactories and shared it with the society at the first Engineering Doctoral Summit Forum of Tsinghua University. In response to the controversies about the complexity, poor safety, and high cost of undergroundfactory systems at that time, he studied and overcame them one by one. He led the team to achieve a series of practices and innovations in Guiyang, Beijing, Shanghai, Dali, and other places, and led the completion of the first national undergroundfactory standard and guide. Up to now, the group's projects have spread across 22 provinces and cities across the country, forming a batch of national major demonstrations, covering all application scenarios of water environment governance such as river and lake governance, old city and new area.

Post meeting group photo

Chairman Hou Feng regards "selection, perseverance, and practice" as the key words for personal and corporate development. He believes that pursuing a PhD in engineering is just the beginning of a journey, and the research topics should be combined with national strategy and industry development. "Starting from national interests and promoting public welfare, we should choose the most valuable things and focus on doing them.". At the same time, he emphasized that the global goal of sustainable development has not yet been achieved, and we must adhere to our original intention. Through the close combination of technological innovation and engineering practice, we can gain true knowledge in practice and forge a new path for sustainable development in China. Zhang Lujing, Vice President of the Group, Pang Hongtao, Assistant to the President and Director of the Engineering Technology Center, and the Strategic Development Department attended the meeting.