Waterloo partners with Tsinghua University on research collaboration centre

Monday, April 2, 2018

The University of Waterloo is partnering Tsinghua University in Beijing, China on a research collaboration centre that will advance science in the areas of nanotechnology, energy, and pollution control.

The centre—known as Tsinghua University – University of Waterloo Joint Research Centre for Micro/Nano Energy & Environment Technology—officially opened on March 29.

The centre was launched in Beijing by a University of Waterloo delegation, led by Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice-chancellor, Pearl Sullivan, dean of engineering, and Zhongchao Tan, mechanical and mechatronics engineering professor along with Xu Chen, chancellor of Tsinghua.

The centre’s activities will focus on collaborative research, joint training and student exchange between the two universities.

“This new research collaboration centre is a very good example of Waterloo’s ability to integrate its immense fundamental research capacity with an important global environmental and social issue,” said Hamdullahpur.  “I am very pleased that we are doing this jointly with our partners at Tsinghua University combining our research talents and resources to find innovative solutions.”

 Negotiations for the centre were three years in the making and were a response to the Chinese government’s call for international research collaboration. Creation of the centre follows a 2017 trip to China by a former president of the University of Waterloo who discussed ways to strengthen the relationship between the two countries with Xi Jinping, president of the People’s Republic of China.

“The new centre will enable two institutions to advance research and development of energy sources and pollution control using new micro- and nanotechnologies,” said Sullivan. “Environmental protection is a global issue and is best addressed through international cooperation that capitalizes on the unique research expertise and facilities such as this one. We are thrilled for our research students who will receive an exceptional experience." 

Tsinghua University is number one for engineering in the world according to US News. Waterloo, ranked 26 years in a row by Maclean’s magazine as most innovative university in Canada, has the largest engineering school in Canada.

“The time is right for the new centre that is committed to solving pollution and other environmental problems brought about by energy use in China and Canada,” said Tan. “The centre will actively advise both countries on the completion of an intergovernmental cooperation framework.”