On Mar. 29, Professor Feridun Hamdullahpur, President of the University of Waterloo, visited Tsinghua University. The chairperson of the University Council of Tsinghua University, Chen Xu, met the guests in the presidential complex, Gongziting. The two sides discussed the promotion of bilateral research cooperation, and inaugurated the "Tsinghua University – University of Waterloo Joint Research Center for Micro/Nano Energy & Environment Technology".

 

In the meeting, Chen Xu welcomed President Hamdullahpur on behalf of Tsinghua University, noting that Tsinghua University and the University of Waterloo enjoyed a long-term cooperative relationship. The two universities started teaching collaboration in 2002, and in 2005 signed an interscholastic cooperative agreement and a student exchange agreement. Already the research cooperation between the universities has covered various fields, including quantum computing, mathematics, and the environment.

 

Chen Xu said at the meeting that Tsinghua University attached great importance to its cooperation with University of Waterloo. Chen Xu added that the establishment of the research center, constructed to face demands of the modern era, was a significant method for two universities to address key global issues, such as energy shortages and environmental pollution, and that the center would have a positive influence on sustainable development. As such Tsinghua University would spare no effort to support the research center, and hoped it would lead to more innovative contributions both to clean energy technology and to improvement of the environment.

 

In his speech Professor Hamdullahpur noted that he was glad to visit Tsinghua University again. He said that the University of Waterloo and Tsinghua University were both the top universities in their respective countries and that today they came together for the common future of all mankind. He added his sincere wish that the newly established research center could help to forge binding connections between scholars from both universities, to provide solutions for important global issues in key areas such as energy and the environment.

 

Li Yuhong, secretary of the party committee of the Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, and Pearl Sullivan, Dean of the Engineering College, University of Waterloo, introduced the background of the establishment of the research center. They said that both universities share a long-term and strong concern for key issues such as energy, sustainable development and environmental protection, and had established a solid trust and friendship, which was the foundation of the research center. They hoped that the researchers of the center would make great achievements in the future. Afterwards Director Li Qinghai and Vice Director Tan Zhongchao introduced the latest progress of the work to establish the center.

 

After the meeting, Chen Xu, Feridun Hamdullahpur, Li Yuhong and Pearl Sullivan formally inaugurated the "Tsinghua University – University of Waterloo Joint Research Center for Micro / Nano Energy & Environment Technology".

 

Ian Rowlands, Associate Vice President for international affairs of University of Waterloo was also present in the delegation. From Tsinghua the meeting was also attended by principals from the Department of Energy and Power Engineering, the Office of Scientific R&D and the Office of Graduate Affairs of Tsinghua University.