University in Xi'an holds forum on serving national strategic needs

Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology (XAUAT) held a seminar on the theme of "Focusing on the first-class discipline chain of green building, serving the national 'dual carbon' (carbon peak and carbon neutrality) major strategic needs" on Jan 25 at its Yanta campus.

The forum is held at XAUAT's Yanta campus. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The event attracted over 100 participants, including officials from relevant ministries and Shaanxi provincial departments, academicians from the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and representatives from leading industrial enterprises.

They discussed the integration path between developing more environmentally friendly buildings and the national "dual carbon" strategic goals.

Buildings that fall under this category are designed in such a way as to maximize the conservation of resources like energy, land, water, and materials in a bid to reduce waste and pollution throughout their entire lifecycle.

The forum serves as an important step for XAUAT as it strives to meet the "Double First-Class" standard.

Zhu Xiaowei, secretary of XAUAT's Party committee, said the university will focus on the national "dual carbon" strategy and regional development needs, promoting the construction of a first-class green building discipline group.

At the meeting, XAUAT signed cooperation agreements with 10 enterprises and institutions, including Longi Green Energy Technology Co, Huawei, China Railway First Survey and Design Institute Group Co, Northwest Institute for Non-ferrous Metal Research, and Baoti Group Co.

They agreed to develop cutting-edge technologies in fields such as photovoltaic construction, the low-altitude economy, ocean engineering, new materials, and energy storage engineering.

XAUAT signs agreements with 10 enterprises and institutions. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A collaborative innovation alliance of Shaanxi province's iron and steel deep processing key industrial chain and discipline chain was also established at the event, along with five innovation platforms, to promote the deep integration of "industry-academy-research-application".

The school has now established 12 research institutes based on the Institute for Interdisciplinary Innovation Research.

XAUAT will take the first-class green building discipline group as the driving force, and deepen innovation around five major areas.

They are, namely: responding to urban renewal actions and the "dual carbon" goals; serving the country's intelligent construction projects and intelligent transportation; promoting cross-innovation across the entire chain of strategic rare materials; creating an innovative area for a new energy system in the western region; and developing underground territory to provide environmental protection for deep subterranean spaces.

The convening of this forum shows how XAUAT has moved from focusing on "single-point breakthroughs" to "systematic innovation" when it comes to green building, providing solid support for universities to serve national strategic needs.