On March 16th, Tianjin Chengjian University(TCU) and University of Palermo (UNIPA) held an online thesis defense for the double master's degree program in environmental engineering. The program is the first joint program between two universities, and has received high attention from the leaders of both universities. Before the defense, President BAI Haili met with Enrico Napoli, the Pro-Rector of UNIPA. Directors and Deans of the International Cooperation Office and Environmental and Municipal Engineering program of two universities attended the meeting and witnessed the defense.
BAI Haili expressed his gratitude to UNIPA for its strong support for the program, and hoped that the two universities could actively explore new cooperation modes in the future, jointly cultivate international comprehensive engineering talents serving the Belt and Road construction, and to promote the cooperation between the two universities to a new level. He also congratulated the students who participated in the defense, and hoped that they would carry forward the fine traditions of China and Italy in their future work, constantly forge ahead, and become messengers of Sino-Italian friendship.
Enrico Napoli fully affirmed the success of the exchanges and cooperation between the two universities, and expressed his gratitude to TCU for the support and assistance. He believed that the two universities had developed the best joint training program for students on the basis of fulfilling the teaching systems of both sides, and had achieved good results. He hoped that the two universities could further expand the field of cooperation and deepen the cooperative relationship on the basis of the double degree program and scientific research cooperation in the future.
Later on, the students reported and defended the research content in the fields of nitrification anammox process, nanoparticle adsorption performance and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon distribution. Relevant experts and scholars of the academic committees of two universities listened to the defense and decided to award the students with master's degrees in Environmental Science and Engineering from UNIPA.
University of Palermo, founded in 1777, is located in the city of Palermo in the Sicily region of Italy. It is one of Italy's famous institutions of higher learning and a comprehensive university that integrates culture, science, and education.TCU is the first partner of UNIPA in China. The two universities established cooperative relations in 2019 and signed double degree program agreements in the field of environmental engineering in 2020. The cooperation between two universities has been widely reported by local media. In March 2020, TCU selected the first group of students to participate in the double degree program. During the epidemic, the two universities overcame difficulties, actively communicated and negotiated, and helped students to complete their studies through online teaching. The successful graduation of the first batch of students was an important achievement of the cooperation between the two universities, laying a solid foundation for the two universities to continuously deepen the partnership in the future.
