On the occasion of the Chinese New Year, WATCH sincerely welcomes two new Chinese partners, School of Environment of Nanjing University and the Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Founded in 1902, Nanjing University (NJU) is one of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning in China. As one of the cradles of modern science in China, Nanjing University ranks among the top in the field of natural science in China, especially in the field of environmental science and environmental engineering. The main research area of the School of Environment of Nanjing University covers environmental chemistry, environmental biology, environmental planning and management, as well as environmental engineering. The School of Environment focuses on ecological effects of environmental pollutants and the mechanisms, the removing and recycling of toxic and hazardous substances, along with pollution control and ecological repair. Moreover, The School of Environment of Nanjing University emphasis on research and development aiming for practical applications. In particular, the School of Environment successfully applied environmental engineering and scientific research for pollution control in industrial parks and aquatic system protection, which achieved remarkable social and economic benefits.
The Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IUE) is located in the city of Xiamen, in the south of China. The research areas range from urban ecological health and environmental safety, urban environmental pollution control and resource recycling technologies, urban environmental engineering and circular economy, to urban eco-environmental planning and management. With the challenge of ecological environment protection in the process of national urbanization and the development of ecological science as well as environmental science and technology, IUE target on the research of urban environmental health and pollution control. Besides, IUE conducted a series of demonstration projects with the support of regional economy, and develops impressive and fruitful research.
Both NJU and IUE have a long tradition of cooperation with RWTH Aachen University, especially in academic research and student exchange activities. The Sino-German Center for Water and Health Research (WATCH), which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), provides a good platform for further bilateral cooperation and enables more substantive cooperation in the future. Therefore, NJU and IUE are willing to participate actively in the activities of WATCH and provide strong support for scientific and technological joint projects, with the aims to promote environmental health and safety of China and Germany.