The online opening ceremony of the 17th National Environmentally Friendly Science and Technology Competition (NEFSTC) was successfully held on May 14, 2022. Liu Shuming and Yue Dongbei, council chairman and vice dean of the School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Xu Bin and Lu Lijun, the dean and vice dean of the College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Lu Jinsuo and Zheng Chenghua, the dean and vice dean of the School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Yuan Huiping and Lu Ping, the HR director in the Asia Pacific region and technical director of Geberit (Shanghai) Trading Co., Ltd. attended the opening ceremony. Committee of the organizing, co-organizing institutions, the representatives of the 16th NEFSTC awardee, and over 90 guests attended the event. The opening ceremony was presided over by Xu Zelin from Tongji University.
In the opening ceremony speech, Prof. Liu Shuming praised the achievements made by the NEFSTC in the past 16 years. He said that some excellent works exhibited in the past competitions had successfully turned into real projects. He, therefore, looked forward to the 17th NETSTC providing a project-incubation platform for college and university students and accelerating the development of national ecological civilization. He also called on youths to proactively participate in the great cause of building a beautiful China and realizing China’s carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals.
Xu Bin said in his remarks that NEFSTC always stays true to its original mission, keeps pace with the times, and is committed to creating a science and technology platform for environmental students to give full play to their talents, creative thinking and knowledge. In this way, scientific research achievements can be better deployed in the national strategic plan for pollution and carbon reduction, and thus promote China’s ecological progress.
Luo Jinsuo further elaborated on the important role of NEFSTC in the university culture construction and the cultivation of students' innovation ability. He also emphasized the importance of cultivating young students' creative thinking ability and entrepreneurial skills to the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
Geberit (Shanghai) Trading Co., Ltd. and the College of Environmental Science and Engineering of Tongji University signed a sponsorship agreement online for the NEFSTC. After the virtual signing ceremony, Yuan Huiping delivered a speech on behalf of Geberit. She talked about Geberit’s environmental protection concept and its proposition to customers, and she hoped that Geberit could provide technical guidance for the incubation of environmental science and technology, and make contributions to the cause of national environmental protection and talent development.
During the inauguration session, the teachers and students attending the ceremony scanned the QR code, signifying the official launch of the 17th NEFSTC.
In the review and prospect session, Student Tian Haining from Tongji University reviewed the previous events on behalf of the Organizing Committee of the 17th NEFSTC.
Student Xu Fangming from Tsinghua University, on behalf of the Organizing Committee of the 17th NEFSTC, reported on the preparations for and changes of the competition. The 17th NEFSTC added a challenge competition on pollution and carbon reduction technology, closely following the current trends in environmental protection, and focusing on "low-carbon development and transformation of water affairs", which would enable participants to jointly explore systematic solutions for low-carbon development of the water industry. She also said that the NEFSTC plans to strengthen the coordinated development of competition and education and invite award-winners to offer innovation and entrepreneurship courses to improve the Talent Training System.
In the session of sharing previous projects, Students Deng Sixing, Xu Longqian, and Ju Xinyue, three awardees of the 16th NEFSTC, spoke about their last competition projects and shared their feelings. They said, as college students in this modern era, they should have the courage to explore current scientific issues, put forward their own opinions and develop innovative mindsets during discussion to turn ideas into reality.
The opening ceremony ended with an online group picture of all attendees.
About the National Environmentally Friendly Science and Technology Competition
The National Environmentally Friendly Science and Technology Competition has been held once a year since 2006. It aims to encourage students to participate in the construction of a resource-saving and environmentally-friendly harmonious society with their original scientific and technological concepts, inventions, and innovative practices. The entries are divided into four categories: scientific and technological concept works, scientific and technological physical works, green entrepreneurship works and pollution and carbon reduction challenge works. In recent years, the competition has expanded its scope, covering more than 250 colleges and universities across the country. The annual average number of participating projects is more than 800, and the number of participants stands at over 4000. It has become the largest environmental innovation and entrepreneurship practice platform for college students in China.
