About 35 Chinese scientists, experts and officials from universities, government agencies and national research institutes attended the China-US Water Symposium in
Wisconsin from July 18-25, 2008.
The idea originated with UW-Madison Chinese students who believe applying the Wisconsin Idea in China can help their nation address its water and other environmental issues. The Legislature approved a pilot project that ultimately involved business, government and private and public university partners, including the Center for World Affairs and the Global Economy.
At the UW-Madison, delegates had presentations at the arboretum, Lot 34 (a storm water management innovation site), agricultural engineering lab, Lowell Hall and on the shore of Lake Mendota. A welcome lunch was organized by the Wisconsin Center for the Advancement of Post-Secondary Education at the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation building. The provost and State Senator Mark Miller, the symposium’s legislative sponsor, addressed the delegation and a special guest was Tom Still, president of the Wisconsin Technology Council.
Symposium content covered storm water management, sewage systems, ecological restoration, lake eutrophication, water policy, water management, remediation of contaminated sediments, drinking water purification, waste water treatment, groundwater pollution, the US Clean Water Act, agricultural runoff management, stream restoration, wetland protection and water pricing.
In keeping with the Wisconsin Idea theme, about 85 business persons, government officials and faculty members from three UW campuses and two private universities were enlisted as instructors. Chinese experts also presented reports. Content and speakers were coordinated by Marquette University and the Department of Natural Resources.
The New North regional development group was the lead organizational and financial sponsor, and with special help from the Fox Valley Technical College coordinated support from 25 business and non-business sponsors. Much of the instruction took place in New North at Lawrence University’s Northern campus in Door County.
In New North, the delegates visited the UW-Green Bay, Fox River PCB remediation site, Green Bay wastewater treatment facility, Appleton Coated Paper mill, a dairy farm and Alliance of Cities storm water conference in Manitowoc. They also visited the UW-Milwaukee Great Lakes WATER Institute and attended a New North-sponsored departure luncheon and program at the Discovery World on the Milwaukee lakefront.
An evaluation survey administered by the Environment & Public Health Network for Chinese Students and Scholars (ENCSS), a UW-Madison group, gave the event high marks with delegates saying they will use the content back in China.
Several other items were directly or indirectly connected with the symposium. As a result of the ENCSS contacts in China, the UW-Milwaukee signed a water education MOU with Beijing Normal University. At UW-Madison with representatives of Tsinghua University and the Yangtze River Scientific Research Institute discussed a sister-river project linking the Yangtze and Mississippi Rivers. Lawrence University is planning a 2009 student study trip on the Yangtze. And a delegation from Guizhou Province will visit New North in 2009.
A report is due to the Legislature on the potential environmental, economic and educational impacts of the course on Wisconsin and China.
