From August 2nd to 6th, 2026, a delegation of outstanding doctoral students from the School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, visited Korea University and Yonsei University for a five-day international academic exchange under the “Outstanding Graduate Student International Exchange Program.” The delegation was led by Professor Liangliang Wei and Professor Jun Zhang. Focusing on frontier areas in environmental research, including low-carbon resource valorization, advanced oxidation and ecological risk control, the delegation participated in bilateral academic seminars, doctoral students presentations, and on-site visits to research platforms. Preliminary consensus was reached with Korean partners on joint research, mutual visits of young scholars, international talent recruitment, and collaborative publications, marking fruitful outcomes from the visit.
I. Visiting to Korea University: Exploring Low-Carbon Resources and Interdisciplinary Ecological Frontiers
From August 2 to 3, the delegation visited the research team of Professor Yong Sik Ok at Korea University. Korea University has established an international reputation in biochar resource valorization, environmental functional materials, and interdisciplinary research integrating big data, artificial intelligence, and ecology. Representatives of Professor Yong Sik Ok’s team delivered welcome remarks. Professor Liangliang Wei and Professor Jun Zhang then introduced the disciplinary layout, talent cultivation achievements, and international talent recruitment policies of the School of Environment at HIT. The two sides held in-depth discussions on postdoctoral recruitment, young faculty appointments, and related topics. Doctoral students from both sides delivered research presentations on current environmental research topics, with focused discussions on the application of biochar in soil remediation and carbon sequestration, as well as AI-driven environmental monitoring. The delegation also visited the teaching and research platforms of the Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering and the Korea Biochar Research Center, and participated in open academic discussions on the integration of big data and ecological environmental research.
Team member of Professor Yong Sik Ok delivers welcome remarks.
Professor Liangliang Wei and Professor Jun Zhang introduce the School of Environment at Harbin Institute of Technology.
Members of the outstanding doctoral student delegation deliver thematic presentations.
The delegation visits teaching and research platforms of the Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering.
Group photo of the HIT delegation and members of Korea University.
II. Visiting to Yonsei University: Advancing Discussions on Advanced Oxidation and Aquatic Ecological Risk Control
From August 4 to 6, the delegation visited the research team of Professor Hyoungil Kim at Yonsei University. Yonsei University has notable strengths in coupled advanced oxidation technologies, natural treatment processes, and interdisciplinary research at the interface of energy and the environment. The Korean team introduced its latest progress in advanced oxidation for water treatment and the degradation of emerging contaminants. Faculty members from Harbin Institute of Technology further presented the School’s talent recruitment policies and research support measures. The two sides held thematic discussions on the optimization of coupled advanced oxidation processes, low-carbon water treatment technologies, and ecological risk control, and conducted on-site visits to various research laboratories and teaching facilities at Yonsei University. During the seminars, professors from both sides reached preliminary cooperation intentions on joint project applications, mutual learning in master’s and doctoral training models, and the regularization of international academic exchanges.
Professor Hyoungil Kim delivers welcome remarks.
Professor Liangliang Wei and Professor Jun Zhang introduce the School of Environment at Harbin Institute of Technology.
Members of the outstanding doctoral student delegation deliver thematic presentations.
The delegation visits research platforms and campus facilities at Yonsei University.
Group photo of the HIT delegation and members of Yonsei University.
III. Visiting Reflections and Perspectives from Young Researchers
To broaden graduate students’ international outlook and encourage active participation in international academic exchange and learning, the delegation held a symposium on the visit experience in Room 1405 of the School of Environment on August 12, 2026. Delegation members shared their experiences and research insights from the visits to Korea University and Yonsei University, and exchanged views on how new concepts, technologies, and ideas had expanded their international perspectives and inspired their research thinking. Professor Jun Zhang noted that international visits serve as an effective platform for testing doctoral students’ innovative abilities and benchmarking their research against international frontiers. He encouraged students to learn from others’ strengths through academic exchange and to strengthen the application-oriented nature of their research outcomes. Professor Liangliang Wei encouraged the students to actively integrate into global research networks, improve their cross-cultural communication abilities, and empower innovation in environmental disciplines through an international perspective.
At the symposium, Ph.D. candidate Haoran Feng said that the visit deepened his understanding that environmental governance requires interdisciplinary integration and international collaboration, and that the exchange of different research paradigms provided new perspectives for his own research direction. Doctoral student Yu Liu noted that Korean universities place strong emphasis on the close integration of theoretical research and engineering applications, inspiring young researchers to pursue scientific frontiers while also addressing national needs in ecological and environmental governance and promoting the practical transformation of research outcomes.
During the five-day visit, the delegation visited Korea University and Yonsei University, two leading institutions in environmental research in South Korea. Centered on frontier topics including low-carbon resources, advanced oxidation, and aquatic ecological risk control, the delegation completed multiple academic presentations, research platform visits, and in-depth discussions. The visit further promoted long-term academic communication between the School of Environment at Harbin Institute of Technology and Korean universities, and laid a solid foundation for international cooperation in environmental disciplines, internationalized graduate education, and the University’s “Double First-Class” initiative. It is hoped that more HIT students will seize opportunities for international exchange, broaden their horizons, and enhance their capabilities on a wider academic stage.
Members of the delegation share their visit experiences at the symposium.
Group photo at the symposium.
