As Shenzhen moved from autumn into spring, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) professor Liu Junguo from the School of Environmental Science and Engineering was selected as an expert for a National Major Talent Project. Professor Liu Junguo admitted that he used to struggle with his studies of water, but it was at SUSTech that he has improved his teaching and research skills.  

Since joining SUSTech, Professor Liu Junguo has become the first National Science Fund for Outstanding Young Scholars that was independently cultivated by SUSTech in 2016. In 2017, he received the “Technology Communication Award” from the International Society for Restoration Ecology and the first Chinese scientist to win the award since its establishment. In 2018, he was the recipient of the Special Allowance from the State Council, the China Youth Science and Technology Award, the Outstanding Achievement Award “Young Science Award” from the Ministry of Education Science and Technology, and second prize in the Beijing Science and Technology Awards. He was selected as a member of the Royal Geographical Society earlier this year. This year, he was also selected as a leading talent in science and technology innovation by national key talent projects.

Studying abroad and research: making communication and cooperation a normal

In 2000, Liu Junguo studied at the North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power in Henan Province. At that time, the Dutch government and the Chinese Ministry of Water Resources cooperated in training Chinese students. Liu Junguo began to study abroad at that point. “Studying overseas broadened my horizons. By taking part in strong academic exchanges, I have been enlightened, and I have gradually cultivated my communication skills, both academic and personal. I have also found many new ideas for research projects.”

After studying in the Netherlands and Switzerland for nine years, Liu Junguo had gained much. He had made cooperation and communication a regular part of his research while developing a substantial academic network crossing multiple organizations. “In my research, we can’t be single-minded in our approach. It’s challenging for one person to make breakthroughs, so maintaining high-level communications with fellow scientists is critical to staying motivated. This is the most important thing I learned while studying overseas.”

SUSTech is proud to have many students that travel overseas to study, whether they partake in international research projects or move onto further studies at foreign universities. Professor Liu Junguo is convinced that exposure to international universities widens horizons and expands knowledge. “Even in my earliest days of academia overseas, I found it easy to talk with my professors. They would always be happy to discuss academic issues with me, without any reservations. Being able to express my thoughts and opinions was very valuable.”

Professor Liu Junguo pointed out that students needed to be more assertive when dealing with professors and experts. They should not be afraid or worried; they should be willing to ask questions and learn from others. It is only from constant learning that students can enhance their scientific research abilities that adapt to new and better ideas, conducive to cooperation.

Governance and Responsibility: making ecological protection and restoration of the new normal

Professor Liu Junguo is the first National Science Fund for Outstanding Young Scholars that was independently cultivated by SUSTech. He has long been researching and teaching water resources and ecological restoration. Professor Liu Junguo has focused on hydrology and water resources, ecological restoration, water, and environmental research at large scales, and ecosystem services assessment and management. His greatest wish is to make environmental protection and ecological restoration the norm.

Professor Liu Junguo’s research focuses on both theoretical and methodological innovation. He undertakes very wide-ranging water resources evaluation work, examining every level from basin scale to city scale to national scale and even global scale. Assessing water shortages is a key direction for his research. Previously, academic circles only focused on water resources when discussing water shortages, while water pollution will have a significant impact on water resources. Based on pollutant absorption theory, Liu Junguo’s research group calculated the freshwater quantity (i.e. grey water footprint) needed to dilute the pollution load to a certain water quality standard based on natural background concentration and existing environmental water quality standards. It was on this basis that the research group was able to construct an evaluation method of water quality-type water shortage based on greywater footprints and water resources. This research has been recognized by many international organizations.

Another direction is the impact of climate change on water resources. With increased temperature and uncertainty as to rainfall, global water resources are most likely to be impacted and have been the source of significant global concern. Professor Liu Junguo was fortunate enough to be recommended by the Chinese government to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and was later selected as the sole Chinese author of an assessment report. He was the Chinese author of the 6th assessment report and only Chinese author of the water resources chapter. “The work of the IPCC required the cooperation of scientists all over the world. Some of our work in this field has been recognized by individual countries as well as the international community.”

Professor Liu Junguo is also interested in ecological restoration. He believes that he has traveled just halfway down this path, and has much more to learn. Ecological restoration is an interdisciplinary field that requires cooperation with industry, academia, and government in order to solve practical problems. Professor Liu Junguo founded the Beijing Ecological Restoration Society which was, at the time, China’s first provincial-level ecological restoration association. At the time, it was challenging to convince people and departments of the importance of repairing and restoring local ecological systems that had been harmed by environmental problems of the past. The Beijing Ecological Restoration Society later found support from the Beijing Association for Science and Technology.

The international community has now recognized the efforts China has made in ecological restoration and environmental protection work. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has cited air pollution control in Beijing as an example for other countries to look and learn from. “In the last two years, China has introduced many policies and regulations focusing on ecological restoration.” Professor Liu Junguo is now busy working with international experts to develop new international standards for ecological restoration. Their standards should be released globally through the Society for Restoration Ecology later this year.

Ideals and choices: Integrating personal dreams into national needs

“I believe that in China, I will fight more for China’s education.” With this conviction, Professor Liu Junguo returned to China and in 2016 joined SUSTech. He said: “My colleagues who come to SUSTech are idealists. I am thrilled to work with these outstanding professors to achieve our dreams. SUSTech is a banner of China’s education reform. Here, we are more able to integrate our dreams into China’s educational reform needs better.”

Professor Liu Junguo believes that teaching and educating people is the most fundamental. Based on his own experience, Liu Junguo also has his personal experience in teaching and educating people. He taught the hydrology and water resources engineering class in 2015, a class that he was very proud of. His students have already continued to graduate studies at high-profile universities such as Stanford, ETH Zurich, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Michigan, Wageningen University in the Netherlands and Carnegie Mellon University. Other students have received offers from the University of Sheffield, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Chinese University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Baptist University.

He has served as a personal tutor for undergraduate students at Shuli College and an academic tutor for undergraduates at the School of Environmental Science and Engineering. He has received the award of “Excellent Tutor” in the Teachers Day Awards, and 2018 graduate Huang Rongqian was deemed a Top Ten Graduate under the tutelage of Professor Liu Junguo. Professor Liu Junguo has led a team of gifted scholars who has consistently trained more young researchers. In his quest to teach and educate young people, he aims to teach students to be good and cooperative, in order to be willing to learn appropriate methods and cultivate teamwork skills for research groups at home and abroad.