Professor Chen Shaoqing Visits Imperial College London (ICL) and University College London (UCL) to Discuss Cooperation on Carbon Neutrality Teaching and Research Platforms

       Recently, Professor Chen Shaoqing, Vice Dean of the Research Institute, led a delegation to Imperial College London (ICL) and University College London (UCL) in the UK for a two-day academic exchange on carbon peaking and carbon neutrality (dual-carbon) related teaching and research. He explored important cooperation opportunities in scientific and technological R&D as well as talent cultivation with scholars from the two universities.

       On October 7, 2025, Professor Chen Shaoqing and Dr. Zhang Chengqi visited the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at ICL. Dr. Wenlong Shang, a Senior Research Fellow at ICL, and Professor Washington Yotto Ochieng, Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at ICL, have collaborated for many years in the field of intelligent and low-carbon transportation research. Dr. Shang introduced the latest developments of his team's research on low-carbon transition of transportation systems, including new progress in big data analysis of electric vehicle mobility, prospects of transportation emission reduction against the backdrop of energy technology development, and research on the equity of regional travel mode transition. Professor Chen Shaoqing presented an overview of the Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) Institute for Carbon Neutrality and Green Development, covering its academic team, research directions, international cooperation, and progress in industry-academia-research integration. He acknowledged that ICL has set an important example in fostering close industry-university market cooperation. The two parties also discussed potential next-step cooperation opportunities in project research and talent cultivation, and identified several collaboration areas in low-carbon transportation transition and green travel modes.

       On October 8, 2025, the delegation visited the team of Professor Jing Meng at the Bartlett School of Architecture and Planning, UCL. Professor Meng is also a Fellow of the Cambridge Centre for Environment, Energy and Natural Resource Governance (C-EENRG) at the University of Cambridge and a renowned expert in the field of carbon neutrality management. She introduced the composition of the school's faculty, the research layout in low-carbon related fields, and the talent cultivation model. In recent years, Professor Meng has led her team to achieve remarkable progress in research on low-carbon energy transition, with relevant studies published in top journals such as *PNAS*, *Nature Climate Change*, and *Nature Sustainability*. Subsequently, Professor Chen Shaoqing shared his team's recent progress in the simulation of energy-water-carbon coupling systems, presented the *Global Urban Carbon Neutrality Research Report* released by the Institute at the United Nations Climate Change Conferences (COP28 and COP29), and introduced the establishment and development prospects of the carbon neutrality micro-major at SYSU. Both parties agreed that there are numerous potential cooperation opportunities between the Institute for Carbon Neutrality and Green Development and the Bartlett School of Architecture and Planning in the interdisciplinary field of low-carbon environmental management and engineering technology. They also expressed their intention to establish a SYSU-UCL carbon neutrality platform and channels for industry-academia-research cooperation in the next step. In addition, Professor Xin Sun from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands participated in the seminar throughout the process and shared the latest progress of his research on key material flow analysis and simulation related to energy transition.

      Imperial College London (ICL)Founded in 1907, Imperial College London (commonly abbreviated as ICL) is a world-renowned public research university in the United Kingdom, focusing on science, engineering, medicine, and business. As a member of the Russell Group, it is collectively known as one of the "UK G5 Super Elite Universities" along with the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, and others.
ICL ranked 2nd in the 2026 QS World University Rankings and has consistently maintained a position among the world's top universities in recent years. Its world-class research achievements in natural sciences and engineering technology have garnered global recognition. The university has produced 14 Nobel Prize laureates and 2 Fields Medal laureates, while its faculty and alumni include 70 Fellows of the Royal Society and 82 Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering. In recent years, ICL has focused its research efforts on addressing global challenges such as climate change and artificial intelligence, and it stands as a frontier hub for interdisciplinary research in environmental science and engineering worldwide.

     University College London (UCL)Founded in 1826, University College London (commonly abbreviated as UCL) is the third-oldest higher education institution in the UK. It comprises 11 faculties, including the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, the Faculty of Brain Sciences, and the Faculty of the Built Environment. UCL has nurtured 34 Nobel Prize laureates and consistently ranks among the top 10 universities globally and top 5 in the UK across major world university rankings (e.g., QS, THE, ARWU).
The Bartlett School of Architecture and Planning, often referred to simply as "The Bartlett," is one of UCL’s most prestigious faculties. It is universally recognized as a world-leading institution for education and research in architecture, the built environment, and planning, with its disciplines consistently ranked first globally. Graduates of The Bartlett work in top planning agencies, consulting firms, and environmental research institutions around the world, making it a cradle of elites in the global architecture and built environment sector.