Chinese, U.S. Scientists Building Connections to Help Address Energy Challenges
(May 2009)
For 2 weeks this winter, scientific leaders from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory met with their counterparts in China to discuss advances in materials science. These advances are needed to help address the global addiction to fossil fuels and the resulting environmental impacts, significant issues in both the United States and China. The meetings enabled the scientists to discuss new collaborations, bringing together international teams with diverse experiences.
"The concept of the lone scientist in the ivory tower is no longer true," said Dr. Jun Liu, who is leading PNNL's research teams in transformational materials science.
The meetings in the People's Republic of China covered a lot of ground, figuratively and literally. The participants toured research laboratories and discussed potential collaborations in molecular catalyst synthesis, nanocomposites, biosensors and energy storage in southern and northern China. Meetings were held from December 1 through 10, 2008, with
- Fudan University
- Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics
- Tsinghua University
- Beijing University.
Several of the meetings focused on extending current relationships. For example, PNNL and Beijing Institute of Chemistry are exploring opportunities to strengthen their collaboration from molecular synthesis to self-assembly. PNNL and the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics are seeking ways to expand their current chemical science arrangement to include materials science.
Other meetings focused on building new relationships. For example, the team met with the Vice President of Research at Fudan University. Dr. Doug Ray, Director of PNNL's Fundamental & Computational Sciences, will return to China this spring to sign several agreements. These agreements will establish collaborations, workshops, exchange students, and mutual visits, vital in building the knowledge necessary to tackle the energy problems that face both countries and the world at large.