Senior Research Fellow hosts international workshop

Dr Hu Du, Sêr Cymru Senior Research Fellow at the Welsh School of Architecture, recently hosted the China-UK Workshop on Renewable Energy Systems in Zero Carbon Villages in Tibet, China.

As the joint host with Professor Yanfeng Liu of Xi’an University of Architecture and Technology in China, Dr Du welcomed world-leading academics and early career researchers to Lhasa, Tibet to present their research outcomes and propose future collaboration plans.

Nine world-leading academics in the field of renewable energy systems for buildings gave keynote talks, including Professor Jiaping Liu, the Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, Professor Qingqin Wang, vice-president of China Academy of Building Research, Professor He Tao, Vice President of Solar Heating Committee of International Energy Agency, and the Welsh School of Architecture Chair of Architectural Science, Professor Phil Jones.

Over seventy early career researchers from the UK and China presented their research outcomes, and joined in the group work sessions. They also visited two local solar energy demonstration projects and experienced a local dinner in one of the largest greenhouses in Lhasa.

The workshop was jointly funded by the British Council’s Researcher Links programme and the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and made possible by Cardiff and XAUAT’s long-term research partnership, which they have enjoyed since Professor Angui Li from XAUAT came to Cardiff as a visiting scholar in 2000. The visit led to two successful joint research projects funded by the Royal Society (2002-2003) and the Commission of European Communities (2005-2007), and has since been maintained through frequent research visits and regular staff exchanges, as well as an award from the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales in support of the Global Challenges Research Fund.