Tianjin University Launches Research Center of Earth System Engineering to Advance Global Sustainability

On January 22, Tianjin University announced the establishment of the Research Center of Earth System Engineering, the first institution in China dedicated to advancing Earth System Engineering as an integrated interdisciplinary field. Guided by a Strategic Advisory Committee comprising 24 academicians from China and abroad, the Center brings together multidisciplinary expertise from within and beyond the University to address global environmental change and support national strategies for green and sustainable development.

Inauguration Ceremony of the Research Center for Earth System Engineering at Tianjin University

As climate change and environmental challenges become increasingly complex and interconnected across spatial and temporal scales, traditional discipline-based approaches are proving insufficient. Earth System Engineering, an emerging field first proposed and championed by Academician Liu Congqiang, seeks to bridge scientific understanding and societal practice through systematic design and proactive intervention in key Earth system processes. The discipline aims to respond to global environmental change and risks to human well-being by integrating Earth system science, engineering technologies, and governance innovation. Building on its strong engineering tradition and established strengths in Earth sciences, Tianjin University has consolidated resources across engineering, science, and the humanities to establish the Center. This initiative fills a critical gap in the deep integration of scientific cognition with engineering application, enabling solutions that are both scientifically grounded and societally actionable.

"The emergence of Earth System Engineering marks a conscious shift in humanity's response to planetary-scale challenges in the Anthropocene," said Liu Congqiang, inaugural Director of the Center. He emphasized that the discipline is rooted in rigorous scientific diagnosis of global crises, while being oriented toward proactive and responsible system shaping, calling for ethical consideration, global collaboration, and unprecedented integration across knowledge systems and institutions.

The Center carries significant scientific, educational, and strategic implications. Scientifically, it promotes a transition from analytical reductionism to systemic integration, fostering a new interdisciplinary paradigm for addressing planetary challenges. Educationally, it explores innovative models for cultivating a new generation of "planetary engineers" equipped with systems thinking, interdisciplinary capabilities, and a strong sense of global responsibility. Strategically, the Center aims to support China's carbon neutrality goals, ecological restoration efforts, and the modernization of environmental governance by providing integrated technological and policy solutions, while contributing Chinese perspectives to global sustainability governance.

Looking ahead, the Research Center of Earth System Engineering will serve as a platform for interdisciplinary research, problem-oriented innovation, and international cooperation. By tightly linking fundamental research, engineering technologies, and societal application, the Center is expected to play a key role in advancing Earth System Engineering as a global discipline and in shaping a more sustainable future for the Earth system.