On 11 Oct, the fifteenth meeting of theConference of the Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was held in Kunming. It was the first global meeting with the theme of "ecological civilization" organized by the United Nations. Sun Kexin, a graduate of the Environmental Science Programme, participated in the meeting. She said that after the meeting she deeply realized that China has achieved remarkable results in biodiversity conservation under the current situation of global warming and sharp decline in biodiversity. She also realized that the concept of harmonious coexistence between human and nature has penetrated all aspects of people's lives.

Sun Kexin at COP15

After graduating from UIC, Sun Kexin obtained a master's degree in environmental science and management from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. She then worked in the Science and Technology Management department of the South China Institute of Environmental Sciences. At COP15, Sun Kexin participated in organizing the forum with the theme "Ecological Civilization and Ecological Security on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau".

Sun Kexin said that her experience at UIC was the starting point for her interest in biodiversity conservation. From major courses to whole-person education experiential courses and summer courses, all these learning experiences had influenced her a lot.

Major courses are helpful for the scientific understanding of biodiversity

This year, the Environmental Science Programme offers a free elective course called "Biodiversity and Extinction Crisis" to all students. The course explores the impacts of biodiversity on the long-term survival and sustainable development of human beings from the perspectives of economic, cultural, psychological, health and environmental development. In class, students make hypotheses on problems related to current species extinctions, and learn to use the knowledge of biodiversity to test the hypotheses, as well as analyze and solve the problems.

In-class discussion on the impact of biodiversity on long-term human survival and sustainable development

In addition, the Environmental Science Programme offers several biodiversity-related courses, such as "Diversity of Life and Laboratory", "Conservation Ecology", "The Ecology and Bioconservation in China", "Practical Biodiversity Conservation” and so on.

Walk into the nature, raise awareness of species conservation

As part of the UIC Whole Person Education experiential learning, the Environmental Awareness courses aim at deepening students' understanding of local and global environmental problems and cultivating students' environmental awareness and responsibility. These courses include activities such as nature observation at Qi'ao Mangrove Wetland Park, visiting the Chinese White Dolphin Nature Reserve, publicizing marine conservation, as well as bird watching on and off campus, etc. which allow students to walk into the community and nature to observe, perceive and discover the answer themselves.

Students doing field studies

These field studies on biodiversity have also yielded some promising results. Since 2018, UIC’s teachers and students have begun the species diversity survey. They subsequently produced the "UIC Nature Observation Photo Guide” using the data and information collected. In addition, the Environmental Development Center also made the online "Zhuhai Ecological Map", which encourages more teachers, students, and the public to participate in species surveys, co-create and share data, and raise awareness of the environment and biodiversity.

UIC Nature Observation Photo Guide

Ecological map of Zhuhai

From UIC, onto the road of biodiversity conservation

Cui Tenghui

2013 graduate in Environmental Science

Project Director of Zhuhai Bird Watching Society

Cui Tenghui has participated in many ecological protection and public education work. In his fourth-year at UIC, he chose bird surveys on Qi'ao Island as his research topic. After graduation, he has participated in the survey on wild terrestrial vertebrate animals on Hengqin Island, and the global synchronous survey on black-faced spoonbills etc. Data collected from collected from such field work is very important for decision-making of relevant environmental projects.

Cui Tenghui participated in the Ruoerge Bird Watching Competition in 2018

Wang Xiaomao

2018 graduate in Environmental Science

Currently working at the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden

Wang Xiaomao conducted the study on seagrass bed in Zhuhai during her fourth-year at UIC. The coastal area around Jishan Bridge in Tangjiawan on the west of the Pearl River Estuary is the only known habitat of the endangered species——Halophila beccarii in China. With her efforts, the seagrass bed finally gained more attention from the local government and survived a restoration project in the area. After graduating from UIC, Wang Xiaomao entered the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor to pursue a master's degree in both “ecology and evolutionary biology” and “natural resources and environment”. She is now working at the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, where she looks forward to continuing to contribute to biodiversity conservation.

Wang Xiaomao (right) and Dr. Siutai TSIM, in the seagrass bed area of Tangjiawan Bay

How do we protect the environment in our daily lives?

Dr. Siutai TSIM

Director of the Environmental Science Programme, Division of Science and Technology

Dr. TSIM is concerned about the impacts of urban development on biodiversity all the time. He has suggested students to use more products with environmental protection logos in their daily lives, and adhere to the concept of environmental protection as much as possible in every small thing in life.

Dr. TSIM believes that environmental education is highly important in helping to solve environmental problems and achieve sustainable economic and social development. In addition to educating major students, he also hopes that through the UIC Whole Person Education environmental awareness courses, UIC could help students from different majors to improve their sensitivity to nature, establish environmental awareness, care for the natural environment around them and influence more people to take action to protect biodiversity.

Li Fanghua

Mentor, Environmental Development Center, Office of Whole Person Education

Li Fanghua said that the word “biodiversity” could easy confuse people. Therefore, in her class, she preferred to take students to the wild, so that students can better explore and think about what biodiversity is and how to protect it. She also hopes that through more public education, ordinary people could understand biodiversity better and the issues of biodiversity conservation will no longer be limited to professional learning and researchers.

Zhang Hui

2015 graduate in Environmental Science Programme

Currently working at Hengqin Urban Construction and Planning Bureau

Zhang Hui believes that consciously developing energy-saving habits plays is important in protecting biodiversity. In our daily travel and life, good planning can help us to save more energy and reduce emissions. "Biodiversity conservation may sound distant to us, but without realizing, we are both the beneficiaries of and threats to biodiversity conservation. It may not be realistic to involve everyone in environmental protection projects, but at least we can choose a low-carbon lifestyle.”

From MPRO

Reporters: Wang Yihui, Li Xingru, Cheryl Chen

Photographers: Interviewee, Ivy Liao

Editors: Fish Gao, Luo Shibing,Ivy Liao

Translated by ENVS