2024 Wanxiang Ambassador Fellows Green Energy Conference

The University of Chicago Center in Beijing
20th floor, Culture Plaza
No. 59A Zhong Guan Cun Street
Haidian District Beijing 100872

The Wanxiang Ambassador Fellows Program is a 5-week pre-professional summer fellowship for students to expand their knowledge of Chinese renewable energy development language and culture and interact with peer students. Established under the State Department’s 100,000 Strong Initiative, the program strives to create relationships and comradery between students from the United States and China with the hope of supporting collaboration and goodwill. The program includes classroom-based Chinese language, cultural exchange and clean energy students, as well as field trips around China and short site visits to green energy centers. 

As part of program, the University of Chicago Center in Beijing hosted the 2024 Wanxiang Ambassador Fellows Green Energy Conference. The conference is a three-day event, from June 24th to June 26th, that invited leading professionals and academics in the field of green energy to lead a series of lectures and discussions on topics such as China's environmental regulations, policies toward carbon neutrality, the development of photovoltaic power, renewable energy integration, and the future of hydrogen and wind energy.

On the first day of the event, students were given a tour of the University of Chicago Center in Beijing led by the Center’s staff, followed by a program and orientation conference introduction led by the program chaperones from the Uchicago Career Advancement Office. The students then had their first lecture given by Prof. Qingyang Huang, Assistant Professor at the National School of Development, Peking University. Prof. Huang’s lecture on the topic of Regulating the Environment Like China, gave insights to students on China’s government structure regarding environmental policies and some of the difficulties they face. Prof. Bin Hu, Associate Professor at the Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development at Tsinghua University, delivered the second lecutre on the topic regarding China’s Policies and Pathways toward Carbon Neutrality Target. Wei Hu, Advisor at the Beijing Neotic Energy Group, gave the third lecture on the topic that focused on The Development and Application of PV Power in China.

On the second day of the event, the students were first given a lecture by Xue Han, Deputy Director of the Institute of Resource and Environmental Policies at the Development Research Center of the State Council, discussing the topic of Renewable Energy, the Chosen Pathway of Chinese Green Transition. The second lecture was given by Caixia Wang, Vice Director of the Department of Renewable Energy at the Institute of the State Grid Energy Research Institute, on the topic of Renewable Energy Development and Integration in China. The third lecture was given by Weidong Zhang, Assistant Resident Representative of United Nations Development Programme China, presenting on the topic of Hydrogen Economy: The Sustainability Developement Goals Booster, which explored the importance and potential of hydrogen energy in reducing carbon emission and achieving sustainability development goals. 

On the last day of the conference, the students were given a lecture by Hui Yu, the Head of Research at the China Wind Energy Association, regarding the History and Mission of China Wind Power. Lastly, the students ended their event with a lecture by Prof. Tianduo Peng, Associate Professor at the Institute for Climate Change and Sustainable Development at Tsinghua University, discussing the topic of the Decarbonization of China’s Road Transportation via NEVs Penetration: Today and Tomorrow, which gave students an insight on the role of New Energy Vehicles in reducing China’s vehicle carbon emissions. 

Students found the The 2024 Wanxiang Ambassador Fellows Green Energy Conference fruitful as they were able to gain valuable information and insight from academics and industry experts on China’s environmental policy and China’s renewable energy sectors. Through their stay in Beijing, students are better prepared for their shadowing program held in Hangzhou and further embrace Chinese language and culture.