SJTU-Fraunhofer Joint Workshop on Architecture and Ecological Environment Held

Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) and the Fraunhofer Institute signed a strategic cooperation agreement on the preparation to establish the SJTU-Fraunhofer Research Center on Oct. 31, 2016. It marks that scholars and experts from SJTU and German Institute will cooperate strategically, share experience and technology, and work collaboratively in the areas of architecture, ecological environment, building industrialization, etc.

Prof. Gunnar Gruen, the associate director from the Fraunhofer Institute, Dr. LI Hong, the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics (IBP), Ms. Susanne Lada’a, Consulate General of Germany in Shanghai, Dr. WU Dan, Vice President of SJTU, Mr. MO Liangjin, Director of Global Affairs Office, Prof. ZHANG Weigang, Secretary of the CCP committee of the School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Civil Engineering (NAOCE), Prof. CHE Shengquan, Associate Dean of the School of Agriculture and Biology (SAB), Prof. YANG Jian and faculty members from NAOCE and SAB attended the signing ceremony.

Vice President WU Dan said that SJTU and German Higher Education Institutions have built extensive and in-depth exchanges and cooperation in the areas of mechanical engineering and environmental engineering. He hoped that SJTU could utilize the technology and experience from the Fraunhofer Institute as a source of reference and promote scientific research within the Sino-German technological research platform. The two parties will work jointly on certain technologies for China’s government and enterprises, which can develop mutual academic exchanges and enhance the cultivation of human resources. This cooperation will become a highlight in the history of SJTU.

Prof. Gunnar Gruen, the Associate Director of the Fraunhofer Institute, said that Franhofer is the largest applied and non-profit scientific research institution in Europe. The Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics (IBP) is the largest one in the institution with a long history. It has been focusing on building technology, engineering construction, energy, environment and materials. After establishing the strategic cooperation agreement with SJTU, both of the parties will focus on the key areas of science and technology, carry out important scientific projects, and expand the breadth and depth of cooperation.

According to the SJTU-Fraunhofer Institute Strategic Cooperation Agreement, the two institutions will prepare to establish the SJTU - Fraunhofer Research Center. The research areas of this center will consist of the sponge city, smart city, building physics, building information modeling (BIM), and construction industrialization. The School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Civil Engineering and the School of Agriculture and Biology at SJTU and the Fraunhofer Institute will share the responsibility and build a Sino-German cooperative team to carry out the related research work.

After the signing ceremony, the SJTU-Fraunhofer Joint Workshop on Architecture and Ecological Environment was held. The scholars and professors from China and Germany discussed in further details the methods of cooperation and research areas, offered valuable experiences on ecological construction and the improvement of architecture and environment, all of which will pave a solid foundation for establishing the research center.

Prof. ZHANG Weigang organized and chaired the workshop and the faculty members from OCE and SAB at SJTU and Fraunhofer attended this workshop.

Author GAO Yi

Photographer: ZHANG Xudong/LI Tingting