Late last year, the IWA Young Water Professionals China Chapter proudly celebrated its 12th anniversary, having been established in 2012. To mark this milestone, YWP China hosted the highly successful Annual Meeting 2024 from 29th November to 1st December. The event brought together over 200 enthusiastic young water professionals from across the country, showcasing the chapter’s remarkable growth and impact over the past 12 years. The annual meeting focused on the theme Development and Challenges of the Water Sector Driven by New Quality Productive Forces. It featured four dedicated sessions for discussions, aiming to advance the international technological frontiers of the water sector and establish a platform for academic exchange among young water professionals.
The opening ceremony was led by Prof. Yi Chen from Chongqing University and featured distinguished speakers, including Dr. Hong Li, Asia and Oceania Director of the IWA; Chelsea Hayward, Chair of the IWA Young Water Professionals (YWP); and Prof. Xiaoyuan Zhang, Chair of the IWA YWP China Chapter.
Dr. Hong Li highlighted the remarkable achievements of YWP China over the past 12 years, expressing optimism about its continued impact in inspiring young professionals to drive innovation in the water sector. Chelsea Hayward also took the stage to celebrate this milestone anniversary, emphasising the chapter’s vital contributions to the global water community. Prof. Xiaoyuan Zhang reflected on the chapter’s 12-year journey, envisioning it as both a dynamic platform for young water professionals and a catalyst for international collaboration in the field.
During the four technical sessions, participants thoroughly discussed innovative solutions to address critical national challenges such as water scarcity, water purification and resource recovery. Besides, participants shared insights on the prospects of development in the water sector driven by new productive forces. They also explored innovative models for cultivating YWP and shared their growth experiences, aiming to provide valuable guidance to young scholars in the field.
The Listen and Learn session featured a keynote speech by Prof. Zhifeng Yang, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Numerous esteemed experts delivered presentations during the event.
To encourage young water professionals from China to engage in foundational research and find solutions to the technological challenges of water sector, YWP China and Beijing Capital Eco-Pro Group established the Rising Star Award of IWA YWP China in 2017. This year’s awards honoured recipients in the categories of Scientific Innovation, Industrial Innovation, and Newcomers to the Application Industry with gold, silver, and bronze awards, recognising their outstanding contributions to the water sector.
During the celebration and annual meeting, YWP China announced the newly elected managing committee for 2024-2026. The new committee members are committed to providing a platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration and career development for young water professionals in the country.
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