CESE and WPG Jointly Establish the Industry-Education Integration Practice Workshop

In early March 2025, the Department of Environmental Engineering at CESE collaborated with Shanghai WPG Intelligent Water Solutions Co., Ltd. to launch the "AI²X Intelligent Water Innovation Workshop" as a graduation internship course. Against the backdrop of AI technology reshaping the water industry ecosystem and the national strategy of deepening industry-education integration, both parties established a "scenario-based dual-instructor collaborative" practical teaching model. This model employs a four-dimensional closed-loop educational system role immersion, real-world learning, interdisciplinary co-creation, and outcome feedback to precisely align talent cultivation with industrial demands.

Centered around the theme of "AI Reconstructing the Future of Water," the course organized participating students into four simulated business divisions to tackle real-world industry challenges. These challenges included intelligent prediction of water supply networks, R&D of smart pump rooms and water meters, application of digital twin technology in water treatment plants, and AI-driven decision support systems for water supply and drainage systems all based on actual corporate projects.

Each team was guided by an interdisciplinary dual-mentor team consisting of technical experts from WPG (including the Environmental Engineering Business Division, AI Large Model R&D Centre, and Industrial Design Research Institute) and faculty members from the university. These mentors provided dual-dimensional guidance on both technical feasibility and commercial value, supporting students in designing effective product development roadmaps.

Through a progressive learning process, team formation and task allocation → research and learning → brainstorming → pitch competition, students enhanced their ability to address complex engineering problems using AI tools, gaining valuable practical experience in integrating intelligent technologies into water industry solutions.

Zhu Zheqin, Director of WPG's Business Department, highlighted that the workshop serves not only as a platform for cultivating talent but also as a testing ground for corporate innovation. He noted that outstanding proposals generated through this initiative will be directly incorporated into the company’s 2025 product line technology upgrade roadmap, creating a swift channel from innovative ideas to practical industrial applications.

Looking ahead, the collaboration between CESE and WPG will continue through joint research projects in the field of intelligent water solutions. The focus will be on embedding hands-on, innovation-driven skill development into undergraduate education. This initiative supports the transformation of environmental engineering students from traditional process-oriented roles into forward-thinking, intelligent innovators. By equipping students with a solid foundation in AI application and systems-level innovation alongside their core disciplinary training, the program aims to prepare them to take on key roles in the future development of smart cities.