On the morning of July 27, 2015, School of Environmental Science and Engineering of SUSTech held the founding conference of the school and seminar of development strategy. Ms Guo Yurong, director of Shenzhen Education Bureau attended the seminar represented Shenzhen Municipal Government. Guests from domestic and overseas attended the seminar include academician Liu Congqiang, deputy director of National Natural Science Foundation, Professor Yang Bin, vice president of Tsinghua University, Professor of Wan Li, vice president of China University of Geosciences (Beijing), academician Steven Gorelick of Stanford University, academician Michael Hoffmann of California Institute of Technology, academician Kevin Jones of Lancaster University, Charlie Andrews, chairman of American SSPA Environmental Consultants, Mr. Liu Shui, chairman of Shenzhen Techand Group and other famous experts and scholars and industrial leaders. Guests attended enjoyed a happy get-together and actively give advice and suggestions for the development of environment subject of SUSTech and solutions of Chinese environmental problems.

Han Wei, deputy director of our school preparatory office firstly expressed her congratulations to the establishment of the school represented Li Ming, Chairperson of university council and Chen Xiyi, President of SUSTech and sent her sincere thanks to participants. Then, director Guo Yurong made a speech and she indicated that the establishment of School of Environmental Science and Engineering in SUSTech is of great importance for the development of Shenzhen and she hoped that the school cultivates comprehensive, innovative and market-oriented talents in environmental subject based on the international cutting-edge view and make contributions to the environmental protection business in China even over the world. Liu Congqiang, deputy director of National Natural Science Foundation, Professor Yang Bin, vice president of Tsinghua University, Professor of Wan Li, vice president of China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Professor Tan Wenchang, secretary of the party committee of Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Mr. Liu Shui, chairman of Shenzhen Techand Group gave their speech respectively; they proposed their expectations and suggestions to the work of discipline construction, talent cultivation, academic research of the school in the future while gave their congratulations to the establishment of the school.

Whereafter, Professor Zheng Chunmiao, the first president of the School of Environmental Science and Engineering of SUSTech presented the layout plan of the school; Professor Hu Qing, director of Chairperson of school Branch and director of Centre for Engineering Innovation of SUSTech especially introduced the construction condition of the practical innovative platform of the school. In the following exchange link of global views, academician Steven Gorelick, Michael Hoffman, Kevin Jones separately introduced the development history and construction experience of environment subject in Stanford University, California Institute of Technology and Lancaster University. Academician Liu Congqiang illustrated the role and function that National Natural Science Foundation played in the field of environmental science.

In the seminar of afternoon, representatives from top Colleges of the Environment and famous enterprises at home and abroad gave their suggestions to the development of the new school, including Professor Zhang Xiaodong, president of College of Engineering of Peking University, Professor Cai Ximing from Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of University of Illinois, Professor Cui Fuyi, President of Municipal environmental engineering institute of Harbin Institute of Technology, Professor Zhu Tong, President of Environmental Science and Engineering College of Peking University, Professor Liu Yi, secretary of the party committee of College of the Environment of Tsinghua University, Doctor Charles Andrews, chairman of American SSPA Environmental Consultants and Professor Vincent Post from University of Flinders.

Participants have reached many consensuses on the opportunities and challenges of development the new school through the positive and deep discussion. The currently prominent environmental problems have severely hindered the healthy, stable and constant development of economy in our country. With the improvement of the global influence of China, the international responsibilities in environmental protection need to be undertaken by our country have increasingly increased while comprehensive and innovative top-notch personnel in domestic environment field are in extreme short supply. Creating a brand new and world-leading School of Environmental Science and Engineering under the above mentioned background is the demands of a new age and one of the important strategies for SUSTech to perfect discipline system and rank in the world-class universities, as well as a significant measure of Shenzhen and Guangdong Province to establish a high-level cultivation base of environmental protection talents. The school should show its characteristics and stand out of environmental departments in China even the world to be a real high-level, international, innovative and market-oriented school.

In the concluding speech, Professor Zheng Chunmiao sincerely thanks for the support of every leader and guest to School of Environmental Science and Engineering of SUSTech He indicated that, the strategy seminar today will further define the development direction and objective of the struggle of the school. “The way before us is much challenged but also full of chances, we need to forget the achievements we got and work hard from now again”. He said, we shall have common ideal and firm belief to believe that the goal of the school of SUSTech to be a world-leading school can be achieved through great efforts.