Tsinghua University ceremony strengthens partnership
Bourns College of Engineering and Tsinghua University to collaborate on environmental research
October 17, 2007
RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- The signing of an agreement between Bourns College of Engineering and Tsinghua University on October 9 in Beijing signaled a dramatic expansion of BCOE’s research presence in China. – Center for Environmental Research and Technology’s research presence in China.
Dean
Reza Abbaschian led a delegation from UCR that included Joseph Norbeck, founding
Director of the College of Engineering – Center for Environmental Research and
Technology (CE-CERT), current Director Matt Barth, and Chemical and
Environmental Engineering Professors Charles Wyman and David Cocker who perform
their research at CE-CERT.
Signing on behalf of Tsinghua University was Dean of the University’s Institute of Environmental Science and Technology Hao Jiming. Professors He Kebin and Wu Ye also participated in the ceremony, as did Dr. Weijian Han, research director for Ford Motor Company in China. An exchange of ideas followed the ceremony, where UC Riverside and Chinese professors and graduate students took part in seminars on topics such as transportation and air quality, energy sustainability, protection of the environment and development of new technologies with low environmental impact. The following day consisted of meetings with the Tsinghua faculty on specific research ideas and directions, looking for similarities to build upon at the two universities. The talks included planning for research exchanges for students and professors of both institutions.
“I felt like I was visiting CE-CERT in another country; our initiatives and research plans are very
similar”, said Professor David Cocker. He characterized the proceedings as well-focused and quite productive.
CE-CERT Director Matt Barth says the two universities have interacted informally for years. “We’re
both pushing the frontier in transportation, air quality and energy systems research,” he says. “This research agreement plays very well into the ‘Ten-Plus-Ten’ program set forth by UC President Dynes last year.” Under the Dynes initiative, the ten University of California campuses would work in conjunction with ten major universities in China, allowing students to study in math and science fields in either nation, each bringing that knowledge back to their home country. Barth also pointed out the importance of improving air quality issues prior to the 2008 Olympics in China.
Charles Wyman said there were real synergies between the two universities that will be strengthened. “The capabilities of Tsinghua align with our extensive work on cellulosic ethanol that could be beneficial to both our universities and our countries -- with the increase in their use of personal vehicles and industrial expansion, there’s a much greater demand for clean energy.”
“We’ve had a long-term productive relationship with this university, and have had several exchanges of students to do research and get their degrees,” said Joseph Norbeck. “It was a wonderful event, and long overdue – the signing formalizes a research relationship with the leading engineering school in China.” He gave Weijian Han, researcher director for Ford in China, much credit in bringing about the agreement.
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The Bourns College of Engineering (BCOE), established in 1989, is the one of the newest engineering schools in California and is ranked among the best public engineering colleges of its size in the nation. The faculty and student populations have both tripled in the past seven years, with new facilities and state-of-the-art laboratories, equipment and technology infrastructure keeping pace with the growth. Interdisciplinary and collaborative efforts are a hallmark of the College in education, research and industrial partnerships, particularly in three affiliated research centers. BCOE offers an interdisciplinary major in Materials Science and Engineering, as well as B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees through the five College departments: Bioengineering, Chemical & Environmental Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.