China 1stEdition

 

Opening Holland Water Week @ WorldExpo Shanghai 2010

It was a remarkable sight during the official opening dinner of the Holland Water Week in Shanghai as five Chinese students took the limelight in the impressive ballroom of the Oriental Riverside Hotel. Enjoying their personal moment of fame, they went from table to table toasting with the many senior government and corporate representatives attending the event from China and the Netherlands.

Just a few hours earlier, these ambitious young water engineers had been on stage to compete for the top honours in the final of the China-Netherlands Water Challenge, a competition organised among the top universities in China in the field of water technology. Launched in January, more than 40 students from 6 universities competed in four consecutive rounds of interviews and presentations, to come-up with the most innovative and commercially attractive proposal for the application of a new water technology.

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After long deliberation the panel of experts, chaired by Vice-Governor Dwarshuis, announced Li Xiang, Masters student at Tongji University, as the overall winner. His business plan for the direct delivery of clean drinking water through a system supported by wind generation and solar energy was judged to have great potential given the rapid urbanisation taking place in China. In recognition of his achievement, Li Xiang is invited to the Netherlands for an extended internship to work further on his plan.

Runner-ups were Ling Di and Jing Jin from Zhejiang University, who presented a novel membrane for the removal of boron and heavy metals from waste water, and Fu Jie from Nanjing University, who proposed a new method for the treatment of textile dye waste water.

Immediately after their presentations, the students were besieged by company representatives to exchange business cards. No doubt, they are all winners!

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The organisation of the China-Netherlands Water Challenge is very grateful for the support of the participating universities:
Mr. Chen, Career Center, Zhejiang University
Ms. Zhao, College of Environmental Science & Engineering, Tongji University
Dr. Shi, School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology
Dr. Wu, Department of Environmental Science & Engineering, Tsinghua University
Mr. Quan, College of Environmental Science & Engineering, Shanghai Jiaotong University
Ms. Lee, Career Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University

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“When asked if I’d like to develop my idea - of course I said “YES!”. I’d never been to Europe, or worked with smartphone applications, or worked with a Dutch company – I was terrified! Fortunately, everyone was very welcoming. I was amazed at the effort they put into making me feel welcome”
Kevin Loh, Winner Australia 2011
Kevin Loh, Winner Australia 2011
“It was a great experience for us, as Indonesia's young generation, to contribute our ideas for the development of Jakarta Bay. We learn a lot from the Dutch companies and how they think about solutions, which is much more than only engineering. It brought us to a better understanding about Indonesia, our beloved country.”
Aldea Permatasari Firdhaus, Amalia Handini Astari, Mochammad Imron & Aulia Fatwa Farizqa, Winners Indonesia 2014
Aldea Permatasari Firdhaus, Amalia Handini Astari, Mochammad Imron & Aulia Fatwa Farizqa, Winners Indonesia 2014
“The Holland Water Challenge brought me confidence and belief that an innovative idea is more important than gold. When preparing for the final, I spent days and nights to scheme a novel living-style with less carbon and safe water. So Many Thanks to my Dutch Friends, and Wish Our Friendship Forever!”
Li Xiang, Winner China 2010
Li Xiang, Winner China 2010
“An idea is like a projectile. Without a suitable catapult, it is just any ordinary stone incapable of making serious impact. In my case, the Singapore-Netherlands Water Challenge was the perfect platform to launch my idea.”
Victor Sim, Winner Singapore 2012
Victor Sim, Winner Singapore 2012
"We're looking forward to making the most of the opportunity to take our idea to the next level and implement what we believe will be a valuable tool for the water industry and emergency services, both in Australia and internationally. Thanks to Holland Water Challenge for organising and supporting the program!"
Dan Peade & Paul Munro, Winners Australia 2013
Dan Peade & Paul Munro, Winners Australia 2013
"The Singapore-Netherlands Water Challenge really helped us use our knowledge to make a little difference on the issues of water reclamation. The award ceremony was great. The trip to Singapore was also very vauable. We would like to let other students know such a good competition!"
Leng Ling, Fan Jingyu, Wu Junhao & Lu Ka Kit, Winners Singapore 2013
Leng Ling, Fan Jingyu, Wu Junhao & Lu Ka Kit, Winners Singapore 2013
"The Australia-Netherlands Water Challenge offers a great opportunity for young people to make an impact in the area of climate change and disaster resilience. We are thankful to have had this wonderful experience."
Tracey Lloyd & Tom Perfrement, Winners Australia 2015
Tracey Lloyd & Tom Perfrement, Winners Australia 2015
"We love every second of the program and always remember the time being with the program as one of the greatest memories through student life. I hope to see you again with another challenges and programs. We have the youth and capabilities and what we need is a chance to prove it."
Pann Ei Ei Phyoe, Winning Team Myanmar 2016
Pann Ei Ei Phyoe, Winning Team Myanmar 2016