A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between UTS and the Hainan Research Academy of Environmental Sciences (HRAES) was signed on Friday 29th June by UTS DVC-Research Professor Attila Brungs and HRAES Assistant Chief Engineer Professor Xing Qiao. The MoU facilitates direct contact and co-operation between the two organisations including research activities and joint participation in internationally funded research activities.
The HRAES, established in 2002, is located on Hainan Island in the South China Sea and is the major centre for research, technology, and professional training for regional environmental protection. The primary goal of the Academy is to provide the public with scientific findings and information and policy insights on environmental issues. The Academy collaborates with a number of international organisations including the World Bank and The International Union for the Conservation of Nature in areas related to coastal management, sustainable landuse strategies and environmental monitoring.
The Director for The Centre for Environmental Sustainability, Professor David Booth, visited HRAES in 2009, describing it as a vibrant research institute with lots of potential for collaboration.
“I’m looking forward to closer ties with The Academy.They have a great deal of expertise and infrastructure in aquaculture and there are extensive coral reefs off the southern tip of Hainan Island,” he said.
Whilst in Australia the HRAES delegation also attended a conference at the Chowder Bay facilities of the Sydney Institute of Marine Science.
