From April 14 to April 26, the International Training Program for Water & Sanitation 2019 was successfully held in both Beijing and Yancheng by the CAS-TWAS Center of Excellence for Water and Environment (CEWE) and Yancheng Institute of Technology (YCIT). In totally 33 trainees from various government departments, water industries, academic institutions and universities in 16 developing countries, including Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Cambodia, Nepal, Egypt, Kenya, Iran, Philippines, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Tunis, Uzbekistan and Zambia, participated in this program.

  The opening ceremony of the Training Program was held on April 15, 2019 at the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences (RCEES), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Prof. MinYang, Deputy Director General of RCEES, CAS and Director of CAS-TWAS CEWE, gave his welcoming address to all trainees participating in the program who were selected from over five hundred applicants. Prof. Min Yang hopes participants can gain understanding of recent achievements of water and environment made by China in recent years, learn from such experiences and make contribution to the progress of water and environment in their own countries, as well as build new friendships and future collaborations through the training program and network. MS Kai Feng, Deputy Director of International Organization Branch, Bureau of International Cooperation of CAS introduced the international cooperation framework and achievements of CAS, and Prof. Yuansong Wei, Deputy Director of CEWE, introduced the progress of cooperation between CEWE and developing countries over the last 5 years. Prof. Dongsheng Wang, Prof. Yu Zhang, Prof. Chengqing Yin from State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, and some international students of RCEES attended the opening ceremony as well.

  The 2019 Training Program followed its strong traditions by providing not only intensive lectures by invited experts from various fields, but also abundant opportunities for on-site technical tours and site visits. At the same time, exchanges between trainees and the water industries in China were also arranged. Except for the classic lectures, i.e., Ecological Protection and Environmental Management, Sewage Treatment and Operation, Rural Sewage and Nonconventional Water resources, and Urban Water Supply, new lectures for Integrated Water Resources Management and Agricultural Water-saving on the basis of the combined demands of many developing countries were included in this 2019 Program. The technical tour is one of the most important ways to better know the achievements and progresses in the field of Water Environment in China. Therefore lots of onsite visits were arranged in the training program, including the Beijing Chaoyang Recycling Economy Industrial Park, Water Quality on-line Monitoring Station constructed by Lihe Science Technology, Wuxi Gongyuan Environmental Equipment Technology, Yancheng Chengdong Water Supply Plant and Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant, Wetland of Yancheng National Nature Reserve, Yancheng Environmental Protection Technology City. More than 30 representatives from the member enterprises of OBOR Environmental Technology Industry Alliance participated in the workshop with these trainees of the program, which opened up possibilities for further cooperation and exchanges in the future.

  On April 23, the Training Program Commencement was held in the new campus of YCIT, hosted by Dr. Feng Liang from Yancheng Branch of RCEES, CAS. Prof. Zisheng Wang, Vice President of YCIT, as well as some professors from YCIT and RCEES, CAS, attended the ceremony and issued certificates for the trainees. From April 26, 4 long-term trainees will join different research groups of RCEES for a three-month internship.

  Since 2010, the International Training Program for Water & Sanitation has been devoted to sharing the achievements and experiences in the field of water & sanitation between China and developing countries, promoting mutual assistance and development. The training program has become a bridge, platform and window for exchange and cooperation between China and the other developing countries in water and environment. Furthermore, it not only greatly enhances the friendships between Chinese people and people from these developing countries, deepens the understanding of the challenges and demands in the developing countries in the field of water and environment, but also accumulates the experiences and talents for achieving 2030 sustainable development goals (SDG) and in-depth cooperation.

CAS-TWAS Center of Excellence for Water and Environment

April 29, 2019