The inauguration ceremony of the Center for Northeast China's Ecology and Sustainable Development was held at Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT).

Fan Feng, vice-president of HIT, and Ma Jun, an academician from the Chinese Academy of Engineering who also serves as director of the Center for Northeast China's Ecology and Sustainable Development from HIT's School of Environment, attended the ceremony. Together, they unveiled the center.

The inauguration ceremony takes place. [Photo/hit.edu.cn]

Fan said the establishment of the center represents an important initiative for the university to serve China's ecological civilization development and the comprehensive revitalization of Northeast China.

He expressed hope the center would address the regional development needs of Northeast China, leverage the university's disciplinary strengths, strengthen collaborative cooperation with universities, research institutes, and industry partners, and promote the deep integration of scientific innovation with engineering practice.

Ma noted the center would be grounded in the realities of Northeast China, focus on major regional demands in ecological environment protection and sustainable development, and intensify research in areas such as cold-region ecological environments, resource utilization, and green low-carbon development.

The center aims to translate regional practical challenges into scientific questions and technological needs, and to explore eco-friendly and sustainable development pathways with distinctive characteristics of Northeast China.

The plaque-unveiling ceremony takes place. [Photo/hit.edu.cn]

The ceremony was chaired by Liang Heng, dean of HIT's School of Environment. Experts and representatives from universities, research institutes, planning and design organizations, and industrial enterprises across Northeast China attended the meeting. They engaged in discussions about the center's positioning, key research directions, and operational mechanisms.

The center will rely on HIT's strengths in environmental disciplines and conduct collaborative research with regional universities, research institutes, and industry partners. Through joint research projects, talent cultivation, and engineering practice, the center will enhance the sharing of regional innovation resources and promote the translation of research achievements into practical applications.

Editor: Yang Wenyu