The Academic Committee of the Key Laboratory for Water Environment Officially Established

On July 6, 2023, the inaugural academic committee establishment conference and the first working meeting of the Key Laboratory for Urban Water Supply, Water Saving, and Water Environment Management in the Yangtze River Delta under the Ministry of Water Resources were successfully held at Tongji University using a combination of online and offline methods. Academician Xu Zuxin, honorary director of the academic committee, Tang Hongwu, the Director Academician, Zhang Chen, Deputy Director, Zhang Chen, Deputy Director, and Professor Wang Aijie attended the meeting. Lyu Peiming, Executive Vice President of Tongji University; Gao Haomin, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Water Authority; Wang Hongming, Director of the National Science Department of the Ministry of Water Resources; Yang Hua, Deputy Minister of the Science and Technology Department of Tongji; and the leadership team of the College of Environmental Science and Engineering attended meetings. Representatives from the co-construction units Shanghai Water Management Affairs Center, Shanghai Water Affairs Management Center, as well as the experimental base units Kunshan Water Affairs Bureau and Wuxi Municipal Public Utilities Group and other members of the laboratory participated in the meeting.

Executive Vice President Lyu Peiming, on behalf of Tongji, congratulated the establishment of the key laboratory’s academic committee, hoping that the committee would fully play its role and ensure the achievement of the laboratory’s construction goals. Director Wang Hongming stated that the Ministry of Water Resources attached great importance to the key laboratory and has congratulated the positive progress made by the laboratory since its approval for preparation. Deputy Director Gao Haomin stated that the Shanghai Water Authority would fully support the construction and development of the laboratory, build a safe, high-quality, ecologically prioritized, green, low-carbon integrated water supply and drainage system in the Yangtze River Delta, and implement the new development concept with practical actions. The conference also held the appointment ceremony of the first academic committee, and Professor Lyu Peiming issued appointment letters to the members of the committee.

Subsequently, the experts at the meeting listened to the work report of laboratory director Professor Xu Bin. He introduced the laboratory’s preparation work based on its construction background, goal positioning, main work progress, representative scientific research results, open operation management, and future development ideas. Experts from the academic committee provided valuable guidance and suggestions for the future development of the laboratory. Academician Tang Hongwu, director of the academic committee, stated that Tongji University has the conditions and capabilities for profound basic and independent research. He hopes that the laboratory will steadily advance in accordance with the requirements of the Ministry of Water Resources, pass acceptance smoothly the next year, and quickly build into a strong and distinctive key laboratory of the Ministry of Water Resources. Finally, Director Wang Hongming made concluding remarks. He stated that the National Science Department of the Ministry of Water Resources would communicate closely with the College of Environmental Science and Engineering of Tongji University, hoping that the laboratory would strictly implement the opinions and suggestions put forward by experts, give full play to the advantages of Tongji, and look forward to the laboratory to achieve faster development and better serve the national strategy and national water conservancy cause.