Sustainable World Research Center (GTIIT-SW)

Sustainability has been defined as “Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. Sustainability requires humans to learn to live within our means. Major factors, such as energy resources, food supplies, environmental quality and many others, must be balanced with a view to the future.

Rationale: Emerging economies in Asia, where China is the leader, face unique environmental challenges because of rapid industrialization, high population densities, geography, and cultural values. The “Sustainable World” (GTIIT-SW) research center will host sustainability research at GTIIT. The center will provide the government in the Guangdong Province, the environmental protection authorities as well as industries with robust, cost-effective, science-based approaches to protect human health and the environment from potentially dangerous contaminants in conjunction with sustainable energy and waste management, construction and land use.

Method: The center contributes to the transition to a sustainable society through scientific excellence in a multi-disciplinary environment. The research activity will contribute to improved knowledge in numerous research areas related to all Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) as set by the United Nations in 2015, namely: Good health and well-being; Quality education; Clean water and sanitation; Affordable and clean energy; Industry, innovation and infrastructure; Sustainable cities and communities; Responsible consumption and production; Climate action; Life below water and Life on land.

The research areas listed above are not isolated fields, and interdisciplinary research based upon cooperation between researchers representing different research areas and synergy is welcome.

The specific activities of the center are to:

• Help identify and define problems to facilitate solutions
• Carry out applied research
  • Fill unique and important knowledge gaps
  • Site assessment, including risks to human health and ecology/environment
  • Technology development
  • Laboratory and field pilot studies
• Identify and document best practices
• Provide support to regulatory authorities in requested areas
• Student and professional education and training, including international exchange
• Community education and engagement

Researchers: The following GTIIT faculty members and research staff contribute to the activities of the center:

GTIIT–SW is currently recruiting outstanding researchers in the following research fields:

• Environmental monitoring
• Wastewater treatment & desalination
• Recycling of solid/organic waste & soil remediation
• Air pollution mitigation
• Climate change mitigation & energy perfection

Based on their academic and scientific record and qualifications, successful candidates will be appointed at the level of Assistant, Associate or Full Professor through one of the GTIIT Academic Programs (Mechanical Engineering, Materials Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Environmental Science and Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science, Physics, Chemistry) and be associated to the GTIIT-SW where they will conduct their research activities.  

World-competitive start-up packages are offered.

Prospective candidates are encouraged to submit a Letter of Intention and CV to the GTIIT Faculty Recruiting Coordinator Ronit Mayer (Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, ISRAEL, Email: gtiitrecruit@technion.ac.il) with a copy to the GTIIT-SW academic heads:

Prof. Ory Lahav, Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Email: agori@cv.technion.ac.il

Prof. Konstantin Kovler, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Email: cvrkost@technion.ac.il

Prof. Jidong Gu, Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering Research Group, Guangdong Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Email: jidong.gu@gtiit.edu.cn