On June 11, we held online the 2nd Tsinghua-Peking University Friendly Low-carbon On-campus Design Competition, as well as the Exchange Workshop for Tsinghua University Handcraft Innovation Practice and Peking University Sustainable Campus Practice Course Achievements. During this semester, 82 students from various departments of Tsinghua and Peking Universities put the idea of Zero Waste Gardens into practice by transforming green spaces on their campuses and in the surrounding communities. They used these gardens as a means to inspire people to think about and practice a low-carbon lifestyle.
Students Gardening in the iGarden
To further improve its teaching methods, the training center cooperated with Tsinghua's Department of Landscape Architecture this semester to transform the green space on the west side of the university's southeast gate into an Education Base for Gardening Practice (iGarden), creating an outdoor classroom where all Tsinghua students can learn through hands-on practice. This project is similar to the Base for Composting Practice at Peking University's Weixiu Garden, creating a link between the two universities in this field. Working in the garden, the students are inspired to innovate and can put their ideas into practice, improving themselves in many different ways. Since it was created, this course has been well received by students from Tsinghua and Peking Universities, encouraging more students from different disciplines to get involved.
This semester, the students engaged in top-level system design and researched carbon emissions calculation methods with reference to the overall development strategy of the university. They also gained practical experience in zero-waste gardens in Tsinghua's iGarden and the Base for Composting Practice at Peking University's Weixiu Garden. The results of the project were highly relevant to low-carbon lifestyle and received high praise from experts in the field. During the event, Liu Yuelai, an associate professor of the College of Architecture and Urban Planning of Tongji University, gave a talk entitled "Community Gardens: Dealing with Community Waste Through Public Gardens and Public Spirit".
A Group Photo of Participating Teachers and Students
Along with the course instructors, representatives from the Vanke Public Welfare Foundation, the Logistics Party Committee of Peking University, the General Affairs Department of Peking University, and the Yanyuan Subdistrict, served as judges. Both universities see these courses as a platform for ongoing cooperation in improving the design of green spaces in a research-guided manner. Going forward, we will continue to hold more events centered on low-carbon lifestyle and sustainability.
