Source: School of Engineering Science and Engineering
Written by: School of Engineering Science and Engineering
Edited by: Wang Dongmei

From July 17 to 19, 2016, the First Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU)-Griffith University(GU) Joint Workshop on Soil and Food Security was successfully held in GU, Nathan Campus. More than 30 key researchers and graduate students from China and Australia took part in it and delivered fascinating academic reports. Besides, 10 undergraduate students in the SESE-GU short term excursion program, which is supported by the SYSU Yixian overseas study program, participated in the workshop. The two sides also had further discussion concerning future cooperation and joint degree programs.

Prof. Sarah Todd, Pro Vice Chancellor of GU, expressed a warm welcome to the faculty and students from SYSU’s School of Environmental Science and Engineering (SESE) in her opening remarks. Prof. Xu Zhihong, Director of GU Environmental Futures Research Institute, Prof. Zhao Huijun, Director of GU Center for Clean Environment and Energy, and Prof. Rebecca Ford from GU Environmental Futures Research Institute; as well as Prof. Qiu Rongliang, Dean of SESE, Prof. Zhang Renduo and Prof. He Chun from SESE, delivered reports regarding related research subjects respectively, which aroused extensive attention and heated discussions. Research findings presented by 4 graduate students from SYSU, such as Yuan Ming and Ding Kengbo, had also received gratifying feedback from experts at present.

During this workshop, Dean Qiu Rongliang and Prof. Ned Pankhurst, Senior Deputy Vice Chancellor of GU, reached consensuses in several aspects through the further discussion concerning mutual research interests, international joint scientific project application and collaborative cultivation of students.

Teachers who took part in this workshop also served as academic tutors for the 10 SYSU undergraduate students from the Yixian overseas study program. The teachers answered the students’ questions, and provided guidance on their academic study, scientific research and academic report.

The academic relationship between the School of Environmental Science and Engineering at SYSU and the Environmental Futures Research Institute at GU School of Natural Sciences was established in 2013. In 2014, the Australia-China Centre for Environmental Quality and Sustainability (ACCEQS) was set up. In 2015, the 3+1 program aiming at collaboratively cultivating undergraduate students was launched. And in 2016, the First Joint Workshop on Soil and Food Security was held. As an important form of academic exchanges between the two universities, this joint workshop will become part of our routine and be held annually in the future.