Center for the Environment

China-US 2011 Joint Symposium

"Global Sustainability Issues in Energy, Climate, Water and Environment"

Prospects and Challenges of growing the Biology Based Economy

September 26‐29, 2011 at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana

INTRODUCTION
Welcome to Purdue University! This meeting is the 5th annual symposium of the China‐US Joint
Research Center for Ecosystem and Environmental Change (http://jrceec.utk.edu), and the first
meeting of the EcoPartnership (http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2011/05/163178.htm). In May of
2011 the US Department of State and the National Development and Reform Commission of the
People's Republic of China approved a proposal to establish an EcoPartnership that builds on the
success of the JRCEEC. The EcoPartnership includes Purdue University's Center for the Environment, the
University of Tennessee's Institute for a Secure and Sustainable Environment, the Joint Institute for
Biological Sciences of the University of Tennessee and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the
Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, the
Research Center for Eco‐environmental Sciences, and the Institute of Applied Ecology. Since its creation
in 2006, the JRCEEC has engaged nearly 1,000 Chinese and US scientists from more than 40 institutions
in international workshops, field site visits, and exchange programs for students as well as junior and
senior researchers. The EcoPartnership will provide leverage to expand these impressive
accomplishments including increased opportunities for academic exchanges, joint research projects and
technology commercialization between US and Chinese partners.

The agenda for the meeting includes 8 keynote addresses, two lunch speakers, 45 technical
presentations, a Monday evening Discovery Lecture Series presentation, and a Tuesday evening of
entertainment provided by the Confucius Institute at Purdue and Purdue University Chinese Students
and Scholars Association. On Wednesday there will be a special presentation by Dr. Arden Bement
followed by two workshops/panel discussions; one on the development of the bio‐based economy and
one on the future of the EcoPartnership, and a lunch presentation by Jay Gore. The symposium ends
after noon on Wednesday, but there are two post symposium activities that day. One is a special
networking session with Purdue's Chinese students, and the other is an NSF funded biofuels workshop.
Thursday will be a day of tours for our Chinese guests.

I want to express my thanks for the many people who worked so hard to make this event possible.
Pankaj Sharma, Jill Wable, and Erica Wilson have worked tirelessly to attend to every detail of the
planning and organization of the meeting. Pat Bickham opened her home for a reception to welcome
our Chinese guests and the participants of the meeting. The US‐China organizing committee provided
technical advice, help in fund raising, and gave freely of their precious time to develop the conceptual
framework for the meeting. Wei Hong and Jonathon Day skillfully arranged post‐meeting activities for
our guests. The financial help and in‐kind support of our sponsors, listed below, is greatly appreciated.
Without their help the meeting would not have been possible. I especially want to thank Shell Oil Co.,
and chief scientist Jose Bravo, for their generous donation and participation.

Organizing Committee
Chair: John W. Bickham (Purdue University)
Co‐Chair: Pankaj Sharma (Purdue University)

US Members:

Sponsors

• Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER), Purdue University
• Confucius Institute, Purdue University
• FuturaGene
• Green Tech America
• International Programs Office, Purdue University
• National Science Foundation (NSF)
• Purdue University Chinese Students and Scholars Association (PUCSSA)
• Purdue University Global Policy Research Institute (GPRI)
• Purdue Water Community
• Shell Oil Company
• US Dept of State

John W. Bickham
Director of the Center for the Environment
US Team Leader for the EcoPartnership