Dr Fenner and Dr Cruickshank recently accepted an invitation to visit SouthEast University In Nanjing, China where they explored a number of areas of possible collaboration with CUED's Centre for Sustainable Development. These discussions involved the development of joint research proposals, help with setting up new Masters programmes in sustainability at SouthEast University, and possible visits to the UK by SouthEast University staff and students. Dick and Heather also gave a lecture on the work of the Centre and their respective research interests to a large audience of postgraduates and Faculty.
As part of the visit they toured the basalt fibre facility as part of SouthEast's International Institute for Urban Systems Engineering. The prodction of this new material is more environmentally friendly than glass or carbon fibre alternatives and has many applcations in construction and the motor industry. They were also shown around the Civil Engineering labs on the new SouthEast University campus. During the visit they were taken to a restored Chinese village outside Nanjing which is a showcase of a rural community and explored the extension of the Smart Villages programme to a working village in the same area, whose livelihood is based on growing strawberries.
As part of being shown round the cty they visited the Sun Yat-sen Mausloleuem on the Purple Mountain, and the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall. It is hoped a further visit will take place in 2016 to build on the links and to particiapte in a summer school with students in civil engineering.
Photo credit: SouthEast University In Nanjing