On the morning of September 5th, Professor Margaret Graham, Chair in Environmental Geochemistry, Director of the Edinburgh Earth Initiative, Co-Director of the International Institute for Environmental Studies (IIES) and Expert in Environmental Processes from the University of Edinburgh visited Shanghai Jiao Tong University. Professor Yong Geng, Dean of China-UK Low Carbon College and Ms. Liang Guo, Secretary of the CPC LCC Committee attended the meeting.

The leadership extended a warm welcome to the visit of Professor Margaret Graham. Dean Geng introduced the current efforts and progress towards achieving the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality target of China, the situation of renewable energy equipment in the central and western regions, and the challenges we are facing. It is in urgent need to overcome difficulties and promote mutual improvements through cooperation. He indicated that it is very important to carry out organized joint scientific research, both sides should combine their expertise together, gather excellent talents in various fields across disciplines, give full play to their scientific research strengths and integrate the ideas, thus to jointly apply for various types of projects and funds at different levels, especially the major funds and government support for large programs, so as to lay a solid foundation for developing low-carbon research.

By organizing international conferences or seminars, Dean Geng hopes to provide opportunities for bilateral scholars to know each other and communicate, in this way gradually expanding the scope and enriching the forms of exchanges, strengthening the interaction of scientific research between both sides, then actively striving for breakthroughs in our cooperation. We should collaborate based on the international strategic partnerships for mutual benefit, at the same time, actively endeavor for the support and assistance from the local governments to involve more young scholars, thus to secure policy support and welfare opportunities for them in various aspects. Dean Geng introduced the proposed establishment of an engineer training centre jointly with WFEO, the plan to carry out global and specialized engineer training program in Lin-gang Special Area, as well as the preparations for the 2025 WFEO Congress, etc.

Ms. Guo introduced the representative international cooperation projects of SJTU, such as Campus Asia and Global Challenge Program. She proposed that we can learn from the operation mode of Campus Asia and pilot the project with IIES, innovate the form of cooperation and try new areas. We can apply for the Global Challenge Program jointly next year, meanwhile strengthen the cooperation in summer school, thus promote the exchange of faculties and students.

Ms. Guo stated that the visiting scholars and postdoctoral fellows from UoE and related partner institutions are welcome to exchange and visit in LCC. We will endeavour to secure funding support and facilitate conditions, so that both parties will be able to jointly apply for major project funding and establish joint laboratories.

Margaret expressed her gratitude for the warm welcome extended by LCC and highly affirmed the foundation of cooperation between both parties. She pointed out that our partnership was particularly highlighted after the visit of the Business Minister of Scottish Government this April, and the Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh also attached great importance to this visit and dialogue. She responded to the relevant content and proposals positively and provided an update on the progress of IIES's work. We look forward to creating closer cooperation with bilateral governments through combined interdisciplinary efforts and different views from diverse dimensions in the future.

The two sides will renew the agreements as soon as possible and carry out bilateral visits to establish closer ties. Meanwhile, the two sides explored the possibilities and progress on the establishment of an innovative joint training model for postgraduate students, the establishment of a national key laboratory as regards specific topics, and the development of emerging industry incubation jointly.

Finally, both parties take this visit as an opportunity to develop deeper and broader cooperation between SJTU and UoE, as well as the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) and the International Institute for Environmental Studies (IIES). We hope to launch relevant activities through collaborative initiatives, deepen mutual understanding, to promote bilateral exchanges and visits, and to overlap and integrate our cooperation networks through the launch of activities, thus enhancing the international influence collectively and continuously.