In a remarkable example of international academic collaboration, two students from the Environmental Engineering and Management (EEM) program at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Glenn Lucas Hendrajaya and Yi Fan, participated in a 10-day research exchange program at the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences (RCEES) in Beijing, China. The program was conducted under the supervision of Dr. Wenchao Xue from AIT and Professor Dawei Yu from RCEES.
The primary objective of this visit was to advance the development of a flow-electrode capacitive deionization (FCDI) reactor. In addition, the program aimed to foster joint thesis supervision, strengthen institutional ties, and promote intercultural academic dialogue.
Under the supervision of Professor Dawei Yu from RCEES, the students engaged in in-depth discussions on strategies to enhance the desalination performance of the FCDI reactor. To complement their technical understanding, they also conducted a benchmarking visit to E-MEM New Material Technology Co., Ltd, a leading manufacturer of RO, NF, UF, and MBR separation systems. This visit provided valuable insights into membrane materials, fabrication techniques, and reactor design approaches, which they plan to integrate into their ongoing research.
During the program, the students presented their thesis progress in a feedback session with Chinese professors and graduate students. They also joined a campus tour and visited several laboratories, where they observed ongoing research activities and gained broader insights into environmental technologies and the academic culture at RCEES.
This research exchange not only contributed to the participants’ technical and academic development but also reinforced the importance of international collaboration in addressing global environmental challenges.
