AI Empowers Environmental Systems Engineering, the 4th Summer School of Environmental Systems Engineering opens

On August 5, 2024, the 4th Environmental System Engineering Summer School, jointly organized by the Ecological Environment Artificial Intelligence Professional Committee of the Chinese Society of Environmental Sciences, the Water Environment and Water Ecology Branch of the Chinese Urban Science Research Association, and the Industrial Ecology Professional Committee of the Chinese Society of Ecology, and jointly hosted by the School of Environment at Tsinghua University, the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering at Fudan University, and China Water Environment Group, officially opened at the Nanxiang Submerged Reclaimed Water Plant in Jiading, Shanghai, China Water Environment Group. This summer school has gone through layers of screening from domestic and foreign universities and research institutes, and finally 50 students from major universities such as Tsinghua University, Fudan University, and Nanjing University have been selected to participate in this summer school.

Qu Jiuhui, an academician of the CAE Member, a foreign academician of the National Academy of Engineering, a professor of the School of Environment of Tsinghua University, and a researcher of the Ecological Environment Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Formula. Zhou Chunfeng, Vice President and Professor of De La Salle University in the Philippines, Huo Mingxin, Professor of the School of Environment at Northeast Normal University, Xie Chengcheng, Secretary General of the Water Environment and Water Ecology Branch of the China Urban Science Research Association, Xu Ming, Vice Dean and Carbon Neutrality Chair Professor of the School of Environment at Tsinghua University, Wang Yutao, Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering at Fudan University, Zhang Lujing, Vice President of China Water Environment Group, and Mao Rui, Deputy General Manager of the Jiangsu Regional Platform of China Water Environment Group and General Manager of Shanghai Jiading Company, attended the opening ceremony. The opening ceremony was co hosted by Professor Xu Ming and Professor Wang Yutao.

Guests at the opening ceremony took a group photo with the classmates to commemorate the occasion

The initiator of the summer school, Professor Xu Ming from Tsinghua University, stated that environmental systems engineering is an emerging interdisciplinary field that studies complex environmental problems from a systems perspective. Essentially, it involves understanding from a holistic perspective of the system and using systematic scientific methods to solve complex environmental problems at the system level. The goal of the Environmental Systems Engineering Summer School is to disseminate and promote universal theories and methods in the development of the discipline. He introduced that this summer school received 308 applications, and ultimately selected 50 students based on merit, with an admission rate of only 16%. He hopes to help students broaden their academic horizons and learn professional skills through this summer school.

Xu Ming, Vice Dean and Professor of the School of Environment at Tsinghua University

Secretary General Xie Chengcheng, on behalf of the Water Environment and Water Ecology Branch of the China Urban Science Research Association, gave a detailed introduction to the relevant science popularization work such as the Urban Water Environment and Water Ecology Science Popularization Creative Competition to the students. The event has been held for 6 consecutive sessions since 2019, and has had a wide and far-reaching impact on the dissemination of knowledge and action science popularization work around water concepts. Finally, she encouraged her classmates to actively join the science popularization team and work together to promote the popularization of water environment and water ecology knowledge.

Xie Chengcheng, Secretary General of the Water Environment and Water Ecology Branch of the China Urban Science Research Association

Vice President Zhang Lujing stated that the ESG path of water environment continues to practice school enterprise cooperation. This summer school was held at the Nanxiang UndergroundReclaimed Water Plant in Jiading, Shanghai, providing an immersive learning experience. We hope that students will cherish and make full use of this rare learning opportunity, embrace the AI era, master new technological tools, and jointly promote the innovative development of environmental disciplines at the Jiading National Science Popularization Base Summer School in Shanghai.

Zhang Lujing, Vice President of China Water Environment Group

The co initiator of the summer school, Professor Wang Yutao from Fudan University, stated that the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has pointed out that addressing global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution requires an interdisciplinary and systematic approach to explore ways to achieve harmony between humans and nature. To cultivate students' professional abilities in environmental systems engineering and provide scientific support for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which is also the original intention of the Environmental Systems Engineering Summer School.

Professor Wang Yutao from the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering at Fudan University

Academician Qu Jiuhui used My Scientific Research Experience as a reference to teach the Way of Learningfrom the perspectives of the three techniques of knowledge, skills, and utilitarianism, reminding students to do well in academics, use technology well, and ignore techniques. He proposed that the way of learning lies in reason. To break down the path of seeking reason in environmental disciplines, one must maintain creativity and insight, possess sensitivity and logic, discover special phenomena from scientific phenomena, known unknowns, theoretical deductions, and practical engineering, identify existing problems, raise scientific doubts, and reveal unknown mechanisms.

Academician Qu Jiuhui also pointed out the qualities that excellent researchers should possess from the difficulties encountered in scientific research, especially understanding the first principles of balance theory in environmental systems engineering, having challenging scientific imagination, and mastering concise scientific methods to cultivate habitual scientific interaction. Finally, he emphasized the core role of AI technology in modern scientific research, encouraging system analysis and interdisciplinary integration to build a new system that promotes theoretical innovation, technological breakthroughs, and close integration with industrial applications.

Qu Jiuhui, academician of the CAE Member, foreign academician of the National Academy of Engineering, professor of the School of Environment of Tsinghua University, and researcher of the Ecological Environment Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences

After the report, Academician Qu Jiuhui had an in-depth exchange with his classmates on the role of AI in scientific research and the importance of the dual carbon goal.

Academician Qu Jiuhui answers questions from classmates

In the afternoon, students visited and studied at the Nanxiang UndergroundReclaimed Water Plant of China Water Environment Group. This water plant is a national ecological environment science popularization base, adopting the design mode of upper parkandlower plant. Above ground is a beautiful water ecological park, and all the water in the park is treated with high-quality recycled water that meets the standard by the sewage treatment plant. It is known as the most beautiful water plant in China. There are fitness trails in the park, including a 1-kilometer inner race track and a 2-kilometer outer race track, as well as a playground for children to explore and play. On the east side of the park, there is the Jiading Water Environment Science Popularization Museum in Shanghai. The exhibition hall is divided into themes such as Water and Life, Unveiling Water, and Harmony between Human and Water. It uses models, videos, and interactive games to showcase popular science knowledge about water to visitors and spread the concept of water environment protection.

Classmates take a group photo at the National Ecological Environment Science Popularization Base

Classmates visit the National Ecological Environment Science Popularization Base

AI for Sustainability Practice Base - Shanghai Jiading Nanxiang Submerged Reclaimed Water Plant

National Ecological Environment Science Popularization Base: Shanghai Nanxiang Jiading Science Popularization Museum