On the morning of May 29, 2021, the first "Friends of Tsinghua-Xie Zhenhua Energy and Environment Scholarship" award ceremony was held in the Reception Hall of the Main Building. Xie Zhenhua, China's Special Envoy on Climate Change and Tsinghua University alumnus, Chen Xu, Chairman of University Council, and He Jiankun, Director of the Academic Committee of the Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development (ICCSD), attended the ceremony and presented the awards to the winners. A total of 32 students have been awarded the Scholarship in 2020, including 12 students winning the Comprehensive Excellence Award and 20 students the Global Practice Award. A total of 20 students from the School of Environment received awards, including 6 students winning the Comprehensive Excellence Award and 14 students the Global Practice Award.
Speech by Xie Zhenhua
Xie Zhenhua congratulated the students for winning the Comprehensive Excellence Award and Global Practice Award of the first Xie Zhenhua Energy and Environment Scholarship. He also emphasized in his speech the urgency of transforming China's economic development mode, accelerating green transformation, and achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality. He pointed out that climate change is a long-term and severe deep-seated challenge to the survival and development of mankind, which requires the active participation and joint response of the whole world and society, especially the young people. As a developing country, China would strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030, and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. To this end, the whole society needs to work hard and overcome enormous difficulties. Through technological and institutional innovation, we need to transform the traditional mode of development, optimize the energy mix, adjust the industrial structure, and foster a green, low-carbon, simple and intensive way of life and consumption pattern.
Xie pointed out that the next decade is a crucial stage for China and the world to achieve carbon neutrality, and it is a good time for students to give full play to their talents. The Scholarship aims to encourage more young students to pay attention to climate change and environmental protection, devote themselves to building ecological civilization and a community of life for man and nature. He hoped that with the support of the university and teachers, the Scholarship can be continuously enriched and expanded to support more young students to dedicate themselves to the cause of energy and environment.
Speech by Chen Xu
In her speech, Chen Xu expressed her sincere gratitude to Xie Zhenhua, and the guests and alumni who actively supported the Global Climate Change and Green Development Special Fund, and extended warm congratulations to the winners of the Scholarship. Xie set up the Global Climate Change and Green Development Special Fund and the Friends of Tsinghua University-Xie Zhenhua Energy and Environment Scholarship in the Tsinghua Education Foundation. Chen admired Xie and the Foundation Management Committee's spirit of caring for the world, encouraging education and selfless dedication. She also pointed out that coping with global climate change and achieving China's goal of carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060 are important tasks for the whole society, especially energy and environmental workers. Tsinghua University will continue to give full play to its strengths in relevant disciplines, and turn itself into a leader of talents training in green and low-carbon development, making new and greater contributions to addressing global climate change, achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality in China, and building ecological civilization.
Chen hoped that the students can bear in mind the big picture, and bravely undertake the mission. Based on the cause of energy, power, environment and ecology, they need to broaden their horizon and develop their abilities through hard work and active practice, and to be bold to make innovations and more contributions. They should, as General Secretary Xi Jinping expects, "be strong-willed, virtuous, talented and responsible, and strive to become a new generation who can serve the cause of national rejuvenation, so that let their youth shine through the unremitting struggle for the motherland, the nation, the people and mankind."
Xie Zhenhua and Chen Xu presented awards to the students
He Jiankun announced the winners of the "Friends of Tsinghua-Xie Zhenhua Energy and Environment Scholarship" and congratulated all the students receiving the Scholarship. Xie Zhenhua and Chen Xu presented awards to the students.
Speeches by representatives of student winners
Li Tianxiao, PhD student from the Department of Energy and Power Engineering, made a speech on behalf of the students winning the Comprehensive Excellence Award. He shared his research and practice, saying that under the influence of predecessors of Tsinghua University represented by alumnus Xie and his advisor Li Zheng, who have devoted their whole lives and made enormous contributions to China’s low-carbon and sustainable development, he has set carbon neutrality in China as a lifelong pursuit of his career. Adhering to the motto of "self-discipline and social commitment", he would strive for carbon neutrality in China throughout his life. Zhang Shangchen, undergraduate from the School of Environment, spoke as a representative of the students winning the Global Practice Award. He recalled his experience of learning to pass down good traditions and shoulder responsibilities during his three-year study in the School of Environment, saying that as a unique and important force in tackling climate change and solving global environmental problems, young people of different ages and different professions would play different roles in climate governance but strive for the same goal.
In October 2017, Xie Zhenhua was awarded the “Lv Zhihe-Sustainable Development Award” for his outstanding contribution to addressing climate change and promoting global climate governance. He also established the “Global Climate Change and Green Development Special Fund” in the Tsinghua Education Foundation. In 2020, Xie and the Foundation Management Committee set up the "Friends of Tsinghua-Xie Zhenhua Energy and Environment Scholarship" to encourage and support excellent students who have achieved outstanding academic performance in the field of climate change and sustainable development and who have participated in or plan to participate in relevant global practice activities. In 2020, a group of brilliant students from the Department of Energy and Power Engineering and the School of Environment of Tsinghua University won the "Comprehensive Excellence Award" and "Global Practice Award" of the first "Friends of Tsinghua-Xie Zhenhua Energy and Environment Scholarship". The first scholarship award ceremony was held to encourage the winners to keep forging ahead and working hard, and to promote the green concept and attract more students to devote themselves to addressing climate change and fostering sustainable development.
The site of the ceremony
The award ceremony was attended by more than 100 participants, including Gao Jian, Deputy Director of the International Department of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), member of the Global Climate Change and Green Development Special Fund Management Committee; heads of the Department of Energy and Power Engineering, School of Environment, School of Law, Education Foundation, ICCSD, and the Office of Global Climate Change and Green Development Special Fund; award winners; teachers and students.
