SESEH Promotes  Collaborations withChinaon Environment and  Health

點擊查看圖文：SESEH2012Report.pdf

The 2012  Sino-European Symposium on Environment and Health (SESEH 2012) was successfully  held at National University of Ireland, Galway  during August 20 - 25, 2012.

This  brand new conference has attracted a total number of 212 participants from a  total number of 28 countries, including 53 students and 10 accompanying persons.  Nearly half of the participants are Chinese, with the number of 93. Among them  77 are directly fromChina, and 16 are overseas Chinese.  The number of participants fromIrelandis 57, including 7 overseas Chinese  studying or working inIreland.

The aim  of SESEH is to promote collaborations withChina. The SESEH  2012 provides an internationally leading platform for interaction between  scientists, consultants, and public servants engaged in the multi-disciplinary  areas of environment and health. With the fast economic growth, the importance  of environment and health is widely recognized inChina, andChinawelcomes  international experts for collaboration. This symposium provides an opportunity  for a direct communication between experts fromChinaand the rest of the world, and helps to  foster and develop international collaborations withChina, the  2^nd largest economy of the world.

The theme  of environment and health is one of the most challenging issues that human  beings are currently facing. With the economic development and improvement of  our quality of life, the environment around us is under pressure, and often  deteriorating. This has raised many questions that require answers: Is the air  we breathe still fresh? Is the water we drink still clean? Is the food we eat  still safe? This conference brings together international experts in Galway to discuss these questions. The themes cover a wide  range of topics including: Advanced Medical Mineralogy, Air Quality,  Bioavailability and bioaccessibility, Clays, Coal and Health, Cryptosporidium,  Environmental Health, Environmental Health in Buildings, Environmental  Management, Environmental Sensors, GIS and Quantitative Methods, Land Use and  Soil Environment, Microbiology, Pharmaceuticals, POPs and Pesticides, Sediment  Pollution, Soil Remediation, Soil Threats, Smart Wastewater Treatment, and Water  Quality.

There  were a total of 6 internationally leading experts serving as keynote speakers of  SESEH 2012: Professor Ming-Hung Wong, Professor Shu Tao, Professor Xiaoying  Zheng, Professor Derek Clements-Croome, Professor Jerome Nriagu, and Professor  William Manning. In addition, the world-renowned Medical Geology Short Course  was successfully held as a pre-conference workshop of SESEH 2012, led by Dr.  Jose Centeno, Dr. Olle Selinus, Dr. Bob Finkelman, and Dr. Maurice  Mulcahy.

To  complement the academic programme of the conference, two conference fieldtrips  have been organised to the Burren and Cliffs of Moher, and Connemara and Kylemore Abbey

A special  section in Environmental Pollution and a special issue in  Environmental Geochemistry and Health are under preparation. One best  student poster and two best student oral presentations were awarded.  

Galway is a  popular tourist destination, attracting more than 1 million international  visitors annually. SESEH 2012 delegates and their accompanying persons have  undoubtedly made significant contribution to the local economy. Galway has provided SESEH 2012 delegates a good experience  with its well preserved Irish tradition, hospitality and natural  beauty.

The SESEH  2012 conference is co-organized by GIS Centre, Ryan Institute of NUI Galway  (http://www.ryaninstitute.ie/facilities/gis-centre), The Geographical Society of  China (m.weixing88.com.cn) and Environmental Sciences Association of Ireland (ISAI,  www.esaiweb.org), supported by Ryan Institute of NUI Galway  (www.ryaninstitute.ie), Society for Environmental Geochemistry and Health (SEGH,  www.segh.net), International Medical Geology Association (IMGA,  www.medicalgeology.org), Geographical Society of Ireland (www.ucd.ie/gsi),  Ireland Chinese Association of Environment, Resources & Energy (ICAERE,  www.icaere.ie), National Centre for Geocomputation (ncg.nuim.ie), South China  Institute of Environmental Sciences (http://www.scies.org/en) and Chinese  Environmental Scholars & Professionals Network  (http://www.cespn.net/english).

Prepared by Dr. Chaosheng Zhang.  Sept. 10, 2012, in Galway