From January 28th to 29th, the Tsinghua University Youth Academic Exchange Forum for the High-quality Development of River Basins was held in Lijiang, Yunnan. The forum was organized by the Department of Hydraulic Engineering at Tsinghua University, the National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology for Water Resources Circulation and Water Resources Engineering, the Key Laboratory of Water Cycle Science of the Ministry of Water Resources, the Exploring Science and Technology Review Society of Tsinghua University, the International Society for Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, and the editorial office of the Journal of Ecohydraulics. It was co-hosted by Beijing Normal University, Tianjin University, Hohai University, Wuhan University, Sichuan University, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, and Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute.

The scene of the opening ceremony of the conference.

At the opening ceremony, speeches were delivered by FU Xudong, Chairman of the Organizing Committee and the Party Committee Secretary of the School of Civil Engineering at Tsinghua University; ZHANG Zongliang, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Chief Expert of China Energy Engineering Group Co., Ltd.; YANG Guozhu, Deputy Secretary of the Nujiang Prefectural Committee in Yunnan Province; and PENG Wenqi, Chief Engineer of the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research. Notable figures such as Joseph Hun-wei Lee, Danny Reible, Philippe Gourbesville, CAI Jindong, and 30 other domestic and international experts attended the ceremony.

FU Xudong’s speech.

On behalf of the Department of Hydraulic Engineering at Tsinghua University, FU Xudong expressed sincere gratitude to all the leaders and experts attending the forum. He emphasized the urgent need for high-quality development in river basins, citing advancements in science and technology and the demand for outstanding talents. The responsibilities of universities in talent cultivation, scientific innovation, and societal service are immensely significant. We should strive to use the construction of student social practice bases and this forum on high-quality development in river basins as a starting point to create a multi-level, interdisciplinary, and integrated student training platform. This will nurture more young scholars contributing to theory, technology, and engineering practice.

ZHANG Zongliang’s speech.

ZHANG Zongliang expressed that high-quality development in river basins is closely related to modernization and the well-being of the people. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, significant achievements have been made in ecological conservation in the Yangtze River and Yellow River basins, contributing to the governance of rivers and lakes, and the utilization and allocation of water resources. He reviewed his personal experiences in Yunnan, where he has been engaged in hydraulic work, summarized a series of significant breakthroughs achieved by the hydropower industry in technological innovation, and expressed that young talents in the field of water resources in the new era have great potential. He hopes that young students will grow into leading innovative talents, contributing to the construction of clean energy bases and the realization of the national dual carbon goals.

YANG Guozhu’s speech.

YANG Guozhu introduced the basic situation of Nujiang Prefecture in Yunnan Province and elaborated on its transitions from regional poverty alleviation to comprehensive rural revitalization. By summarizing the progress of cooperation between Tsinghua University and Nujiang Prefecture, he stated that in the future, they will effectively leverage the traction and cohesive role of the cooperation between Tsinghua and Nujiang to support the high-quality development of rural revitalization in Nujiang. Additionally, he invited participating experts and young scholars to visit Nujiang for investigation and research and to contribute to the construction of Nujiang’s rural revitalization.

PENG Wenqi’s speech.

PENG Wenqi, on behalf of the China Branch of the International Society for Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, congratulated the opening of the forum. He emphasized that eco-hydraulics is not only crucial for protecting water environments but also a key to achieving sustainable development goals. He reviewed China’s remarkable achievements in recent years, particularly in integrated river basin management and wetland ecosystem restoration. Additionally, he shared the efforts of the China Branch of the International Society for Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering in participating in international cooperation and promoting disciplinary development. He encouraged more young people to actively participate in the activities of the Youth Student Chapter of the International Society for Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering, urging them to exchange ideas and stimulate innovation through academic exchanges.

Joseph Hun-wei Lee, President of the Macau University of Science and Technology; CHEN Qiuzhen, Researcher at the Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute; Philippe Gourbesville, President of the International Society for Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering; LIU Pan, Professor at the School of Hydraulic and Hydroelectric Engineering, Wuhan University; Danny Reible, Member of the National Academy of Engineering, and Professor at Texas Tech University in the United States; YI Yujun, Professor at the School of Environment, Beijing Normal University; and Michele Mossa, Professor at the Polytechnic University of Bari in Italy, delivered keynote speeches at the conference.

The conference consisted of three parts: academic presentations, poster exhibitions, and an editing workshop. Among them, there were two parallel sessions for academic presentations. Session One is a youth forum primarily for graduate students, focusing on three themes: ecological environment, basin economy, and green energy. Session Two is the 3rd Tsinghua University Department of Hydraulic Engineering “Global Water Issues” Undergraduate Forum, with four themes: water disasters, water resources, water intelligence, and water economy. The editing workshop invited a total of 18 journal editors and attracted more than 30 young scholars and students to participate. At the end of the forum, the participating young scholars jointly released the “Youth Initiative for High-quality Development of River Basins.”

Group photo of the attendees.