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The 16th IAHR-APD and 3rd IAHR-ISHS Congress/Symposium Conference Summary
The 16th congress for the International Association of Hydraulic Engineering and Research (IAHR) Asia and Pacific Division (APD) and the 3rd IAHR International Symposium on Hydraulic Structures (ISHS) kicked off on Sunday, October 19, 2008, with an all-day pre-registration event held in the WenTian Building on Hohai University’s campus, the same location which would serve as the main venue for the duration of the conference. On Monday (Oct. 20), the first official day of the conference, an official Opening Ceremony was held to formally call into session the two parallel conferences. Committee members from the IAHR-APD, IAHR-ISHS, Scientific Committee and Local Organizing Committee (LOC) greeted the many conference attendees, guests, and participants, and Hohai University President and LOC Chairman C.K. Zhang gave a welcoming address which began with an outline of conference events and details and ended with his wish for a successful conference. The conference would focus on six major branches/topics relevant to modern hydraulics and engineering research around which presenters would present on. Many of these sessions/presentations would run in parallel, but having the topics divided into these distinct themes and sub-themes made it easy for participants to choose the relevant presentations they wanted to attend.
Monday (Oct. 20) morning hosted the conference’s six keynote lectures (as well as invited lectures and technical sessions with follow-up discussion in the afternoon). Six of the world’s most distinguished hydraulic engineers and scholars from around the world presented on topics reflective of the conference’s central theme: “Water and Humanity: Friendship, Harmony and Sustainable Development."
1) Wang Zhaoyin (China, Chairman of China's Division of IAHR-APD) "Data of Barrier Lake and Incised Rivers in Sichuan" A welcome reception was held in the evening in the elegant Parkview Dinshang Hotel. Attendees were able to enjoy delicious food while meeting up with old friends and making new ones.
Tuesday (Oct. 21) hosted more invited lectures and 28 technical sessions. In the evening, guests were invited to a "Chinese Cultural Evening" at Hohai Hall in celebration of the opening of the conference. As one of the most memorable events at the conference for many, this evening included thirteen breathtaking performances which echoed both traditional and modern elements of Chinese culture. The performers, all Hohai University students, used a combination of song, choreographed dance, and musical instruments to give the audience a night they will surely not soon forget.
Fourteen technical sessions were presented on Wednesday (Oct. 22) morning, each followed by a period of discussion. After lunch, delegates had the opportunity to attend a technical visit first to the Tiexinqiao Water Experiment Center of the Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute (NHRI) and then to the Qinhuai River Ecological Restoration Project (located at the Sancha Kou). NHRI representatives led the delegates through seven of the twenty large-scale testing halls of the Tiexinqiao Water Experiment Center. Guests were able to witness first-hand some of the largest hydro-engineering projects in Nanjing and ask questions about the exhibits.
The second technical visit took guests riverside to the Qinhuai River Ecological Restoration Project. Here, delegates were able to see one of China's most unique, important and celebrated hydraulic engineering projects: the massive Sancha Kou sluice. This sluice is not only a momumental structure, but it is also a critical project for Nanjing as it is used for the continued management, accessibility, and cleanliness of the Qinhuai River.
Later that evening, after the technical visit, ELSEVIER (one of the world's leading publishers in science and health information) hosted an "Author’s Workshop" designed to provide important information on how to write a good-quality paper for a top international journal. The presentation was especially helpful for all the young students and staff in attendance and anyone who has not had much experience in publishing an academic article in an international journal.
Thursday (Oct. 23) was the final day of the conference and included a final set of invited lectures and 12 technical sessions in the morning/afternoon. A technical visit to five of Hohai University’s key laboratories was also arranged. Guests were led through the "Experiment Teaching Center of Hydraulic Engineering," the "Experiment Center of Environmental Science and Engineering," the "Laboratory of Geotechnical Engineering," the “Experiment Hall of Water Environment Comprehensive Treatment," and the "State Key Laboratory of Hydrology-Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering." In these labs, guests were able to see several of the current research projects, instruments, and equipment, and also were able to learn about the lab's histories, current efforts, and future plans.
In celebration of the many achievements the conference embodied, and to officially declare the conference closed, a closing ceremony was held in the evening. Several distinguished professors and committee members expressed words of gratitude to everyone who helped make the conference a wonderful success. President C.K. Zhang also expressed his thanks to all the conference attendees and volunteers and after officially declaring the conference closed, invited everyone to attend a farewell banquet at the Hua Dong Hotel. The banquet was celebrated in characteristic Chinese fashion and guests again had the chance to taste some of China's most delicious foods.
Although the closing ceremony and dinner banquet marked the end of the conference, delegates, guests, and volunteers were all in high-spirits. These four days represented a milestone for the International Association of Hydraulic Engineering and Research and Hohai University. 6 keynote speeches, 25 invited lectures, 275 speeches and 34 posters given by some of the 410 conference participants from 28 countries and helped organized by about 300 volunteers. Comments from these delegates and conference volunteers alike all pointed to one conclusion: that the 16th IAHR-APD and 3rd IAHR-ISHS was one of the most well-organized, well-planned, and successful conferences of IAHR history.
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