The School of Environment and Architecture held the first National Excellent Undergraduate Summer Camp on 24th August 2021, with the strong support from the School of Environment and Architecture, as well as the Graduate School. The aim of this activity is to show the characteristics of all disciplines of the school, expand their academic influence, and attract outstanding undergraduate students to pursue further study. More than seventy undergraduate students from forty-one universities participated in the summer camp and had a better understanding of the characteristics of various disciplines. During the summer camp, totally fifty-four staff of the school (e.g., academic,administrative and counselors) were active online to interact with the students by offering detailed explanations to their questions.
This summer camp took place in both main venue and branch venue. The opening ceremony was held in the main venue to give an introduction of the school and the career prospects. Prof. Lihui Wang, Vice Dean of the school, gave a welcome speech on behalf of the school, and introduced the history and disciplines of the school, and emphasized the advantages of the faculty members and academic platform, teaching reform, talent training, and international communication and cooperation. Qing Du, counselor of graduates, explained in detail the school's graduate scholarship and grants, as well as the employment after graduation, by which the students are mostly concerned.
Then, the summer camp was held in branch venues by three departments of the school (i.e., Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Building Environment and Energy Engineering) to give academic lectures and select excellent campers. In the first part, Prof. Beijia Huang from Environmental Engineering, professor Pingping Rao, Director of Civil Engineering, and Assoc. Prof. Haidong Wang, Deputy Director of Building Environment and Energy Engineering introduced the research fields, academic interests, laboratory construction, and academic achievements of each discipline respectively. In the second part, Assoc. Prof. Xiaodong Zhang of Environmental Engineering gave an academic report on the topic of “Frontier progress of environmental functional materials”. Prof. Bin Peng, Prof. Pingping Rao, Prof. Zhiguo Zhang, and Assoc. Prof. Lili Kan of Civil Engineering gave academic reports on the topics “Introduction of structural engineering”, “Development of geotechnical engineering and discussion on several key issues”, “Connotation and developing trend of bridge and tunnel engineering”, “Development and application of ecological concrete with high ductility of”. Teachers ofBuilding Environment and Energy Engineering introduced their research interests, which benefited the campers in the branch avenue. In the third part, Dr. Qianru Zhang of Building Environment and Energy Engineering, PhD student Wei Liu of Environmental Engineering, and Master students Fei Wang and Haihan Huang shared their experiences in obtaining Master degree and Doctoral Degree, winning innovation competitions, achievements through scientific research, which deeply impressed the summer camp members and raised enough questions. In the fourth part in the afternoon, the comprehensive assessment of excellent campers in three disciplines was conducted in three branch avenues simultaneously. Campers gave self-introduction, and showed their personal strength and scientific research potential to the interviewers through communication. As a result, thirty-eight undergraduates were selected excellent campers.
Finally, Prof. Lihui Wang, Vice Dean of the school announced the excellent campers in the main avenue. She expressed her sincere thanks to Prof. Jing Jin, Secretary of Communist Party of the school, and Prof. Yuandong Huang, Dean of the school for their support to the summer camp and to the faculty members for their contribution. She hoped that the campers would cherish the valuable opportunity for higher education and wished the campers a success in the coming postgraduate entrance examination!
The National Excellent Undergraduate Summer Camp held by the school of Environment and Architecture not only deepened the campers' understanding of the disciplines of the school, but also increased the academic influence of the disciplines of the school. It definitely laid a good foundation for the subsequent recruitment of graduate students in 2022.
Fig. 1 Main venue
Fig. 2 Branch venue 1
Fig. 3 Branch venue 2
Fig. 4 Branch venue 3
