The founding ceremony for the Tsinghua Sino-Italian Environmental Energy-saving Building was held June 8 at the Tsinghua campus.

The Italian government provided the 150 million yuan in funding for the building -- the first educational architectural project it has ever funded overseas. This is also the biggest cooperative project between the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology and the Italian Environment and Land Resources Ministry.

When completed, the building will become a center for teaching, experiments, scientific research and Sino-Italian environmental technological exchanges.

Designed by the renowned Italian architect Mario Cucinella, the new facility is located in the southeast of campus. Combining the most globally advanced energy-saving systems and architectural theory, the building will serve as a research station for the long-term coordinated development of China’s environment and energy plans, and will be a base for a broader cooperation between the two countries.

Secretary of the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology Shi Dinghuan and Italian Environment and Land Resources Ministry Corrado Clin made remarks at the opening ceremony.

Tsinghua Vice President Gong Ke and the vice minister of the Italian Environment and Land Resources Ministry also addressed the audience.

More than 300 people attended the event, including Mr. Jgnazio　Musu, President of Venice University, Italy, representatives from the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, the State Bureau of Environmental Protection, Academician Qian Yi, and some faculty and staff from the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering.

Following the ceremony, the two sides held a forum on “Architectural Energy-saving Technology.”

Two years ago, Tsinghua University and the Italian Environment and Land Resources Ministry reached an agreement on the future cooperation between the two sides in the field of environment and energy.

Report by Liu Aixiang

Photoed by Guo Haijun