School of Environment

Under an authorization from China’s Ministry of Education, the Institute of Environmental Sciences (IES) was founded in 1983. IES was one of the first established institution of its kind in China with the responsibility of providing educational programs and conducting research in the field of environmental sciences. In 2002, IES officially became the School of Environment with augmented ability of educating students and conducting research.

As a pioneer academic institution, the school has responsibility for educating undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as initiating academic exchanges with other institutions of higher education. The school has excelled by carrying out these responsibilities over nearly two decades. From 1983 to 2000, the school offered only M.S and Ph.D degrees in Environmental Sciences. The Department of Environmental Science and Engineering was inaugurated in 2001 and has offered baccalaureate programs in environmental science and engineering since then. Today, our school offers Ph.D degrees in 4 fields, which are Environmental Sciences, Environmental Engineering, Ecology as well as Population, Resources and Environmental Economics. There are over 60 faculty members, including 24 full time (FT) professors. Meanwhile, the school has 164 FT undergraduates and 245 FT graduates.

School of Environment is a research-led institution. It has been granted a first-class certificate of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) by the State Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA), which entitles it to conduct comprehensive EIAs on key construction projects. A laboratory as a part of the State Key Joint Laboratory with Peking University, Tsinghua University, and Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, was established in 1995. In addition, a key laboratory for Water and Sediment Sciences under the Ministry of Education is also set in the school. The aim of all studies in this laboratory is to promote the development and application of science and technology for water environmental simulation, to enhance environmental protection, and to assist in the development of strategies for sustainable development in China.

Our faculty members have wide-ranging research interests. Some research highlights include: (1) Aquatic ecology with focus on environmental flow; (2) Ecological modeling based on system ecology, system dynamics and thermodynamics; (3) Formation, development and evolution of wetland; (4) Physical, chemical and biological processes of inorganic and organic contaminants in water, soil and sediment; (5) Environmental engineering such as wastewater and solidwaste treatment and atmospheric pollution control; and (6) Environmental assessment, management and economics.

Our School brings in over 3 million Dollars per year in grant funds. The school’s top grant and contract sponsors are Ministry of Science and Technology of PRC (National Basic Research Program of China (973), National High-tech R&D Program (863 Program), Mega-projects of Science Research for the 10th and 11th Five-Year Plan), National Natural Science Foundation of China, Environmental Protection Agency of China, and local governments etc. In the sense of carrying out these research projects, the school is recognized to represent the high caliber of researchers garnering nationwide acclaim for its work.

As the new century begins, our faculty and students endeavor to achieve an international reputation as a leading academic institution in the environmental and water science fields. Our School is sincerely interested in undertaking collaborative projects and exchanging academic experience with experts all over the world.