EPA Engages Chinese Students on Improving Health and Environment in Their Homeland

Release date: 05/16/2008

Contact Information: Dave Ryan, (202) 564-4355 / ryan.dave@epa.gov

(Washington, D.C. - May 16, 2008) Next week, EPA Headquarters in Washington will be hosting Chinese students committed to improving public health and the environment in their homeland and around the world. Over the course of three days, EPA and the students will have an opportunity to discuss environmental challenges facing both countries and solutions.

"The U.S. has worked for many years to achieve a growing economy and a healthy environment," said Rick Otis, deputy associate administrator for EPA's Office of Policy, Economics and Innovation. "China faces a similar challenge, and we look forward to sharing our experience with its future leaders, as well as learning from them how to move both our nations toward a cleaner and more productive future."

On Monday, EPA will host the third annual meeting of the Environment and Public Health Network for Chinese Students and Scholars (ENCSS). During the meeting, the students will discuss the U.S. experience in protecting the environment, current environmental challenges in China, and the links between environmental and public health.

The students and scholars will also participate in EPA's annual Science Forum. Many of the students will present research on topics ranging from antibiotic resistance to climate change adaptation in northwest China.

ENCSS is a network of mostly doctoral and post-doctoral students attending U.S. universities, which has three goals:

• To connect Chinese scholars, students and others who are concerned about environmental and public health issues;
• To unite China and other countries in sharing information and discussing solutions for environmental and public health issues in China and the rest of the world; and
• To provide the supporting logic for wise environmental and public health practices.