On September 1, the first Summit Forum on Environmental Biotechnology and Ecological Civilization Construction took place at the permanent site of the China-ASEAN Education Cooperation Week (CAECW). The forum was organized by GZU in collaboration with institutions including the Field Science Observation and Research Station of the Ministry of Education for Guizhou Karst Environmental Ecosystem. Themed “Low-Carbon Green, Innovative Development”, this event aimed to align with new circumstances, seize emerging opportunities, and actively explore the harmonious coexistence prospects of humans and nature in the context of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. The forum was conducted through a combination of both online and offline methods.

Distinguished attendees included Ren Nanqi, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor from Harbin Institute of Technology; Ye Dongqian, Deputy Director-General of Guizhou Provincial Department of Housing and Urban-Rural Development; Professor Sibudjing Kawi from the National University of Singapore; Zhang Zhenshan, UN-Habitat Programme Manager for China; Chen Guohua, an academician of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and Dean of the School of Energy and Environment at City University of Hong Kong; Li Bailian, a member of the American Academy of Human Ecology, a foreign academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and a tenured professor in Ecology at the University of California, Riverside; Zhou Chunsong, an academician of European Academy of Sciences and Director of the Southwest Research Institute of Zhejiang University of Technology; Professor Li Yuyou from Northeastern University in Japan; Professor Quan Xie from Dalian University of Technology; Researcher Zhou Yuexi from the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences; Professor Zhao Yaqian from the University of Dublin, Ireland; Professor Wang Aijie from Harbin Institute of Technology; Professor Wang Jianlong from Tsinghua University; Researcher Han Mengyao from the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Cambridge; Professor Zhong Huan from Nanjing University; Dr. Zheng Qinxin from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; GZU Vice Presidents Zhou Shaoqi and Chen Xiangsheng; Fu Yong, Vice Dean of the College of Resources and Environmental Engineering at GZU; Professor Wu Yonggui from the Field Science Observation and Research Station of the Ministry of Education for Guizhou Karst Environmental Ecosystem; and Professor Liu Baojun from GZU. The opening ceremony was chaired by GZU Vice President Zhou Shaoqi.

In his speech, Ren Nanqi highlighted that China has taken various measures since the proposal of the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals in 2020. These measures have vigorously promoted comprehensive green transformation efforts in China’s regional and national economic and societal developments. Recognizing that the theme of this forum aligns well with the latest trends in environmental and ecological development, he encouraged the attending experts to share more insights and propose more solutions under the backdrop of the “dual-carbon” goal.

Ye Dongqian emphasized that the gathering of renowned scholars from both at home and abroad at the CAEWC site to contribute their wisdom to environmental biotechnology and the construction of ecological civilization will significantly advance a cross-regional and international perspective on ecological environmental management. Such a perspective will further promote cross-regional collaborative exploration of new environmental biology technologies, new energies, and ecological civilization development.

Chen Xiangsheng extended a warm welcome to the attendees, highlighting GZU’s unwavering commitment to open education and international collaboration. Notably, GZU has established a Confucius Institute at University of the Gambia and a Chinese teaching center at Presbyterian College, U.S. Furthermore, the university has initiated cooperative educational projects in partnership with a number of universities in the U.S., U.K., and Canada. Since 2008, GZU has actively hosted, organized, or co-organized a series of CAECW events for 15 consecutive years. Chen underscored that the gathering of renowned domestic and international scholars to discuss environmental biotechnology and ecological civilization construction at this event will provide crucial support for academic research and talent cultivation in related fields at GZU, as well as advancing GZU’s international exchanges and cooperation.

This forum featured over 10 specialized academic reports, with distinguished experts including Zhang Zhenshan, Ren Nanqi, Chen Guohua, Li Bailian, Zhou Chunsong, and Zhou Shaoqi delving deep into academic discussions around the main theme.

Editor: Pang Aizhong

Chief Editor: Li Xufeng

Senior Editor: Yang Nan

Translator: Jia Haibo