Swedish King meets Chinese Professor in Stockholm

Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf has met Chinese Professor Wu Jisong, together with one Japanese nuclear scientist and one American scientist at the Nobel Hall of the Stockholm City Hall.

The three received their diploma as foreign members of the Royal Academy of Engineering Sciences whose 800 members attended the grand ceremony.
Professor Wu Jisong also director of China Research Center of Recycle Economy of Beihang University was elected as foreign member of the Academy in August.

Professor Lena Treschow Torell cited Professor Wu's achievements as the first person who put up forward the concept of knowledge economy, introduced recycle economy into China and improved it and put up forward the idea of ecological reparation.

Professor Wu was leader of UNESCO project "Multi- disciplinary Studies on Applications to Development" in Stockholm's Urikdal in 1985. The English research report was published by UNESCO and created the concept of Knowledge Economy in 1986. It was he who introduced the idea of science parks into China. This practice is considered to have greatly promoted the development of the Chinese economy.

In an exclusive interview with People's Daily Online on Sunday, Professor Wu expressed his feelings when receiving the diploma, Professor Wu said,
"It is a great honor for me, but more importantly, this shows that China's scientific development concept and theory is in accordance with the world's main trend, it is a recognition to what we proposed and what we have done, " said Professor Wu.

Professor Wu has led to design several important projects including that of the water supply system to guarantee the water supply for Beijing Olympics in 2008, the water supply system in Gansu where China's Space Shuttle was launched and the river refilling and ecosystem reparation project in Tarim River in Xinjiang, which helped many local Uygurs who moved out due to lack of water moved back to their hometown after the water and ecosystem there were repaired in 2000.

Professor Wu explained the concept of knowledge economy and how it can be achieved.

"We should use multidiscipline knowledge to optimize the resources which are in shortage. We should use knowledge to develop the rich renewable resources to replace the rare resources, for example, solar, wind and nuclear energy which emit zero green house gas emission. That will be a solution for the reduction of emission," said Professor Wu.

"In the past we didn't use knowledge to deal with water. For example, the sewage was discharged in Chongqing to the Yangtze River while the tap water was supplied in Wuhan which is the downstream of the river," Professor Wu said vividly.

"We must develop recycle economy in order to make good use of resources, reduce waste and close the loop. For example, a heat plant should be connected to an Iron and Steel factory so that the latter can use the heat, and the Steel factory should be linked to a cement plant so that the later can make use of the waste or residue from the former, this way, man can reduce input as well as waste," said Professor Wu.

He also emphasized that it is people's mindset that should be changed because man cannot simply consume as much as they wish considering the sustained capacity of the ecosystem.

"Mankind must use knowledge to create not only material wealth, but also repair the ecosystem which has been damaged by the development process, the balance of this two process will make sustainable development work," said Professor Wu.

He has written a book Recycle Economy both in Chinese and English. He also published a textbook about recycle economy for universities.
"Every year I also write a chapter for Chinese leaders' training so that they can well exert leadership in developing recycle economy," said Professor Wu.

Being asked about how China can better implemented the recycle economy in the whole country at various levels, Professor Wu said what he has done is just the first step.

"We need to establish a multi-discipline department in Chinese Academy of Sciences and Engineering Sciences. It can also provide whole set of solutions for recycle economy. Then we need to have people to carry out the solutions, thus we need opening the course at universities and attract more students, China is still short of these kind of teachers and students," said Professor Wu.

He also stressed that media can play an important role in spreading the concept of knowledge economy and recycle economy as well as the reparation of ecosystems.

"What I have achieved is just the first step, the following will rely on you, the young people," said Professor Wu.

Born in 1944 and graduated from Dept. of Mathematics and Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Professor Wu also did research in nuclear fusion in Institute of Nuclear Research of Fontenay aux Roses, Nuclear Energy Committee of France in the early 1980s.

He was also director of research office of environmental and resources committee of National People's Congress and vice chairman of 4th Conference of International Association of Science Parks(IASP), Beijing in 1995.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences has 800 members and 10% of them from developing countries. Ten Chinese researchers have been elected foreign members of the Academy which is also involved with the work relating the Nobel Prize every year.

By Xuefei Chen, People's Daily Online, Stockholm.