Based on the international status of ecological science and wetland in Nanjing University and the fine tradition of ecological construction and wetland protection in Changshu City, Nanjing University and People's Government of Changshu Municipality formalized the agreement in September 29, 2012 for setting up Nanjing university Ecological Research Institute of Changshu which was the first ecological research institute established by university and local government in China.
The institute is under the enterprise management pattern, formed by Nanjing University Science Park Co., Ltd. and Changshu Yushan Mountain and Shanghu Lake Exploitation and Construction Co., Ltd.. In December26, 2012, Nanjing University (in Changshu City) Research Institute Co., Ltd. was registered in Changshu city and became China's first ecological research institute which was under the pattern of enterprise-like operation. The institute has an area of 2700 m2, of which office area of 500 m2, on-site exhibition center and academic exchange center covers an area of 2200 m2, and the ecological technology research and development and industry incubation experiment land area of 50.52 mu.
For the purpose of courageously striving, being well-grounded and speaking up moderately, our institute has introduced professional people, developed international cooperation, constructed high quality platform, endeavored to be the pacesetter for national wetland restoration and ecological construction and realized the strategic positioning for innovation, leading, hatch and practice.
On the basis of depending on Changshu and summarizing Changshu Pattern, Our institute is aiming to base on Changshu, serve all nation, and head for the world. We will set up a co-innovation carrier among industry, university and research institute which includes the research and development of technology, the transformation of achievements, industry incubation, talent cultivation and its integrated service, and plays an important role at home and abroad. We are providing ideas, strategies, productions and outputs for the eco-civilization construction.
To meet the development needs of ecological society, our institute will develop key technology of ecological industry, set up a complete ecological industry chain involving technical advisory service, restoration of technical engineering and ecological physical products, and explore innovative technology about the norm and standard of ecological enterprises, mode and running mechanism, output gathering and economic features.
The development plan of our institute in the next five years will be divided into three aspects: Wetland restoration and water environment control: vigorously promote the complete set of technical practice to provide technical support for the national wetland protection redline and the implement of Ten Terms for Water. Soil remediation and agriculture construction of precise ecological facilities: take repairable means which are quick, efficient and steady to meet the challenge of soil pollution, create the technology for precise ecological facilities and raise agricultural productivity; Ecological products and industry promotion: let the Institute gradually master the new industrial chain including efficient economic process and harmonious ecological function through the R&D work involving new technology, new facility, new material and new product.
We employ 60 people in our research institute currently，including 7 senior scientists/professors, 6 associate seniors, one Seagull Plan personnel, 9 engineers, 18 doctors, 24 masters and 12 graduates. Our research team graduated from esteemed universities and institutions like Nanjing University, Uppsala University (Sweden), Leiden University, Xiamen University, Southeast University, Hohai University, Tongji University, Nanjing Agricultural University, Northwest A&F University, China University of Mining and Technology and China Academy of Art.
Since the establishment of our institute, we have engaged 12 advisors on science and technology at home and abroad, including Prof. Jos Verhoeven from the Netherlands; Prof. Jennifer Ann Davis from Australia; The former Ramsar Secretariat Dr. Ania Grobicki; Ruud Kampf from the Netherlands; Matthew Simpson from WWF; The General Engineer of He’nan Province Environmental Protection Office; Prof. Lei Guangchun, Dean of the School of Nature Reserve, Beijing Forestry University; Prof. Zhang Lixin from Nanjing University, Prof. Lu Jianguo from Nanjing Forestry University, Prof. Gao Guofu from Nanjing Agriculture University, etc.
In September 2016, An Shuqing, who was the professor of Nanjing University and the dean of our institute, was awarded the Outstanding Wetland Scientist by INTECOL-WWG, which made him the first person to receive this award in Asia for centuries. Nanjing University became the only unit in the world to receive two international awards in the field of wetland. Two staffs in our institute won the Outstanding Report Award during the 10th International Wetlands Conference.
At present, passing the attestation of three ISO quality systems, we have become Nanjing University National Start-ups and Innovation Demonstration Base Changshu Demonstration Base, Nanjing University National Start-ups and Innovation Demonstration Base Students practice Base, Wetland Restoration Engineering Laboratory in Jiangsu Province, Postdoctoral Innovative Practice Base in Jiangsu Province, Workstation of business graduate student in Jiangsu Province , High-tech Enterprise of Jiangsu Province, and the outstanding innovation vector among Industry, University and Research Institute in Suzhou City. Our Institute is equipped with Grade A Design Capacity Certificate on environment pollution government project of Jiangsu Province, Grade A Management Capacity Certificate on environment pollution government project of Jiangsu Province, National Design Certification on Forest Inventory and Planning and National Design Certification on Tourism Planning. Many projects have been involved in our institute, such as wetland protection and restoration, water ecology restoration, water ecology purification, large-scale plant propagation, river regulation, constructed wetland, water pollution control in small watershed and so on.
With the support of National Water Project Administrative Office, we led the formation of Water Ecology Industry Alliance, which provided the basis for restoring the healthy water ecology system in the Yangtze and Huaihe rivers and constructing ecological water system and ecological river basin and provided the technical reserves for the water ecology restoration in all watersheds during the 13th Five-Year Plan.
In order to enhance the communication and cooperation in the field of wetlands at home and abroad, our institute successfully held the 10th International Wetlands Conference in Changshu City, China, cooperated with the People's Government of Changshu Municipality from September 19, 2016 to September 24, 2016. It is one of the most important series of meetings organized by the International Ecology Society, which is held every four years. The meeting has brought active social influence in the industry. It has established the “ecological brand” for school, set up the “wetland brand” for the local, and won the international honor for national wetland undertakings. There are about 1,500 delegates from more than 10 international institutions, and 72 countries and regions, including more than 300 foreign guests. The meeting attracted more than 50 domestic media, including CCTV, People's Daily, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Environmental Protection, as well as international organizations such as RAMSAR, SWS and INTECOL. During the meeting, the Declaration on Wetlands in Changshu was adopted. It has historic significance because it is the first time to release the common agreement in the form of “Declaration” since the beginning of the International Wetlands Conference.
Through years of continuous struggle and promotion, the social service of our institute has been spread all over the country. The wetland areas for planning, designing and restoring are over 2600 square kilometers, accounting for 5.0‰ of the national wetland area. Services include five categories: General Plan of the Wetlands park, Management Plan for Preservation Areas, Surveillance and Assessment of Ecological Assets; Detailed Planning of the wetlands park, Tourism Planning, and Publicity Planning for Wetland Parks; River & Lake Treatment, wetlands restoration, Water Ecology Restoration; constructed wetland, Water Ecology Purification, Water Pollution Control; wetlands city, wetlands town, wetlands country and so on.
With a wide range of technological advantages, Nanjing University Ecological Research Institute of Changshu is committed to creating a series of ecological brands.
An Shuqing, the dean of our institute, has managed 7 national key projects of Water Pollution Control and Management including the research and demonstration of key technologies for water ecological restoration in Huaihe river basin and the water ecology functional districts and diversity management in Taihu Lake basin. He has also managed 5 national research planning projects including the impact assessment of reclamation on Wetland Ecological Service Function, sustainable utilization of the resources and so on. What he did has made great contribution to water pollution control, wetland protection and restoration and environment governance in drainage basin.
Our institute has developed a series of advanced ecological environment protection technologies. At present, we own two international patents and more than thirty PCT patents. Apart from that, we have about one hundred autonomous kernel technology including international patents and core technology package, such as:
1、More than 20 ecology process package including stage purification Process of strengthening, coupling, side leaching and reduction; tail water enhanced treatment process of deposition, aeration, sheet flood, subsurface flow and stabilization, WH living water chain and so on.
2、More than 10 advanced governance patterns including stage governance of strengthening, cleaning, recovering and beautifying in small basin, river improvement of detecting, stabilizing, analyzing and managing, lakes treatment of closure, recovery, optimization and control and so on.
3、More than 10 total solution including wetland park construction, water governance in small basin, deep purification of the tail water and so on.
Regarded as an important sand table and physical model block of "mountains, rivers, forest, farmland and lakes” project which is the national major water project, the "River Ecological Restoration Technology" and “Constructed Wetland Wastewater Treatment Technology" ,produced by our institute and Nanjing University , have a chance to attend the 12th five-year scientific and technological innovation exhibition held in Beijing, along with the other six water projects The results together in June, 2016. we have accepted the review of national leaders, innovation conference experts and the community and have been highly appraised.
The institute is committed to building brand strategy, giving full play to the technological advantages such as deep sources of technology, strong capabilities of innovation, research and development, continuous innovating and practicing, so as to create the brand of “Nanjing University Ecology” and “Nanjing University Clip Ecology".
The research institute is committed to strengthening national services into the international stage by summarizing the Wetland Changshu Model. In addition, we try to develop the eco-industries and conducts research and strategic guidance of full-industry operation pattern mechanisms; to get major nation-level S&T projects and improve scientific innovation capacity, and take the lead in national ecological environment construction under the support of a nation-level platform; to create new financing patterns and expand financing channels, and further development of research and innovative capacity in preservation and ecological construction of wetland and finally to serve the society in a better way.
Environment is a natural resource and ecology the most valuable treasure; the environment maintains the current society and ecological balance; NJUecoRICH will hold an opportunity for the ecological environment treatment and restoration of China, follow the trends of times which are accelerating eco-civilization construction and promoting economic transition. We will also struggle to upgrade the environmental capacity, reduce ecological deficiency, glorify our country, and construct harmonious and beautiful wetlands and the ecological homeland we all deserve.
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