【Words from a Distinguished Teacher】
- In scholarship, national needs should be the guiding principle—delving into the bottlenecks of environmental engineering and proposing systematic solutions.
- To work in environmental protection is to go where the country needs you most, to write papers on the land of our nation, and to embed research outcomes into lucid waters and lush mountains.
- I hope students carry ideals in their hearts and responsibilities on their shoulders, always remembering that “choosing SJTU means choosing responsibility.”
On the campus of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, there is such a teacher—steadfast in teaching and devoted to nurturing students, who regards the classroom not only as a platform for cultivating virtue but also as a space for dialogue between minds and wisdom; deeply engaged in research, he focuses on lake and reservoir water quality purification and ecological restoration, serving society through science and writing his papers on the land of the nation. His students affectionately call him a “model teacher and exemplary practitioner,” while colleagues describe him as a scholar of rigorous research and unwavering dedication. He is Professor He Shengbing of the School of Environmental Science and Engineering at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, recipient of the University’s 2025 First Prize Teaching Excellence Award.
“To work in environmental protection is to go where the country needs you most.” This is a phrase He Shengbing often repeats. For decades, he has turned these words into action—remaining devoted to the classroom, rooted in scientific research, and wholeheartedly committed to nurturing students—embodying, through responsibility and dedication, the mission and character of a university teacher in the new era.
With diligence and wholehearted devotion to educating others, one stands on the lectern without regret.
“The essence of education lies in cultivating virtue, and the foundation of research lies in responsibility.” This is a phrase He Shengbing often says. As a university educator, he understands that imparting knowledge is only one part of education; more importantly, it is about nurturing students’ sense of national commitment and social responsibility.
Environmental Science and Engineering is a highly interdisciplinary field, requiring students to build both solid theoretical foundations and strong engineering competence. For students preparing to enter the workforce, engineering design and technical drawing are essential skills. In response to these employment needs and drawing on his own professional experience, Professor He Shengbing actively initiated and developed the undergraduate course Water Treatment Engineering Design, filling a long-standing gap in the School’s curriculum in this area. He also compiled and published the course textbook Construction Procedures and Engineering Design of Wastewater Treatment Projects, with the aim of further strengthening the professional skills of environmental science students at SJTU. To ensure that classroom teaching keeps pace with industry developments, he emphasizes the use of representative cases and real engineering projects, continuously updating course content. He has subsequently published Guidelines for Urban Wastewater Treatment Engineering Design and Guidelines for Urban Wastewater Treatment Engineering Design (Second Edition), which have been adopted as engineering design textbooks by many universities across China and received widespread positive feedback. A third edition of the textbook is currently in preparation.
In the classroom, he weaves engineering stories into professional courses through vivid case studies and real-world project sharing. Beyond teaching technical skills and methods, he cultivates students’ passion for environmental protection and a strong sense of responsibility, vividly demonstrating the importance of environmental engineering and its social responsibility, and inspiring students to set lofty aspirations.
Alongside classroom teaching, he personally leads students on field visits and internships at enterprises such as United Water and Suzhou Wuzhong Water Affairs Development Group. Through diversified teaching approaches, he has achieved strong instructional outcomes, with the course receiving excellent student evaluations. He actively updates course content and optimizes teaching methods, integrating cutting-edge research findings into the classroom. As a result, he has received the Second Prize of the Shanghai Teaching Achievement Award, the Special Prize of the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Teaching Achievement Award, and First Prizes at the 13th and 14th SJTU Excellent Textbook Awards. The course Water Treatment Engineering Design has been recognized as a National First-Class Undergraduate Course and a Shanghai Municipal Key Undergraduate Course.
With Graying Hair, The Teacher Safeguards Clear Waters; Through Words and Deeds, He Greens Mountains and Rivers.
When He Shengbing stepped beyond the campus and into professional practice, China was at a critical stage marked by rapidly deteriorating water environments, frequent pollution incidents, and severe ecological damage, posing significant challenges to economic and social development. Responding proactively to national needs, he applied his professional expertise to successfully secure and participate in the National Major Science and Technology Program for Water Pollution Control and Treatment, with students actively involved in related research projects. He later led and contributed to multiple national and local key water environment management initiatives, guiding students in water treatment and ecological restoration efforts at sites such as West Lake in Hangzhou, the historic Pingjiang River area in Suzhou, and the Shiwuli River in Hefei. Throughout his scientific and technological work, he has remained deeply committed to mentoring students, helping them develop a strong sense of professional identity and reinforcing their determination to contribute to the improvement of water environments.
He teaches the graduate-level course Eutrophication of Water Bodies. As eutrophication is a direct manifestation of water quality deterioration, he integrates national policies on ecological civilization into his lectures on eutrophication control, guiding students to understand the relationship between environmental protection and social development, and to recognize the social responsibility behind scientific research. Students have noted that this approach not only makes the course more meaningful, but also enhances their learning interest and sense of mission. He has also overseen water management projects at Siyuan Lake and Nansuyuan on campus. By establishing a water circulation and purification system, combined with aquatic plant restoration and fish population regulation, he effectively improved water quality and transparency. Following the restoration, Siyuan Lake has transformed from a “popular photo spot” into SJTU’s “ecological reception hall,” while Nansuyuan has been developed into a “mini Erhai,” allowing Ottelia acuminata—a recognized indicator of high water quality—to bloom on the SJTU campus.
During his teaching, He Shengbing has actively reformed his pedagogical approach by incorporating real-world case studies and conducting immersive, on-site classes through campus water ecological restoration projects such as Siyuan Lake and Nansuyuan. Through these practices, he presents the key technologies and major achievements of SJTU teams in the ecological restoration of Erhai Lake and West Lake. When analyzing engineering cases, he guides students to reflect on the question, “As environmental engineers, what choices should we make when facing environmental challenges?” thereby fostering a sense of responsibility and purpose in a subtle yet enduring way. By integrating values education into professional coursework and drawing on rich engineering materials, he encourages students to become guardians of a green campus, enabling both teachers and students to appreciate the SJTU spirit of responding to national needs, working at the grassroots level, and pursuing long-term dedication. In 2022, the course Eutrophication of Water Bodies was recognized as a Shanghai Municipal Model Course for Curriculum-Based Values Education, and its teaching team received the title of Shanghai Municipal Model Team for Curriculum-Based Values Education.
To help students better understand the connection between their discipline and real-world challenges, he often takes them beyond the classroom to conduct field studies at water treatment plants, wastewater treatment facilities, wetland parks, and river restoration sites, allowing them to personally experience the complexity and urgency of water environment management. In the Siyuan Lake ecological restoration project, he led students through the entire process—from water quality testing and data analysis to ecological design and engineering implementation—enabling them to acquire skills through practice, understand responsibility through engagement, and grow through experience. Many students recall that Professor He’s classes were not only “packed with substance,” but also felt like a series of spiritual awakenings, helping them build a firm belief in applying what they learn to serve the nation while mastering professional knowledge.
Pursuing Dreams in Research with Purpose, And Advancing Far Through Dedicated Scholarship.
“Research and teaching are mutually reinforcing: research provides depth for the classroom, while the classroom serves as fertile ground for the application of research.” He Shengbing has always upheld the philosophy of “promoting teaching through research and advancing research through teaching.”
In his research, He Shengbing focuses on lake and reservoir water quality purification and aquatic ecosystem restoration, high-efficiency denitrification of low-pollution water bodies, and strategies for regulating greenhouse gas emissions in constructed wetland systems. He has led more than ten national-level projects, including an international cooperation project under the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Key R&D Program, sub-projects of the National Major Science and Technology Program for Water Pollution Control and Treatment, and grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China, as well as over 30 research and engineering projects commissioned by enterprises and public institutions. He has published more than 100 SCI-indexed papers in leading international journals and over 60 papers in core Chinese journals, secured a series of representative national invention patents in the field, and co-authored multiple industry standards and provincial- and municipal-level standards, specifications, guidelines, and technical manuals.
He pays close attention to the development of every student in his research group. In academic training, he not only gives each student ample room for independent exploration, but also places strong emphasis on academic rigor and standards. From the moment students enter the program, He Shengbing actively guides them to clarify their academic goals and expectations, and formulates targeted development plans tailored to each individual. Throughout their studies, he closely monitors students’ research progress, holding weekly discussions with graduate students on research directions and plans, and providing professional guidance. He encourages students to engage deeply with research questions in their field, supports the comprehensive development of their academic capabilities, and consistently emphasizes academic integrity and research ethics. By cultivating strong ethical awareness and guiding doctoral students to adhere to proper research conduct, he lays a solid foundation for students to pursue high-level academic careers in the future.
In mentoring students, he adheres to the principle of being both teacher and friend. When students encounter research bottlenecks, he listens patiently, analyzes problems in detail, and tirelessly helps them clarify their thinking and identify effective approaches. As he often says, “Students’ growth is holistic—it is not only the improvement of research ability, but also the shaping of character, values, and the inner world.” Under his guidance, generation after generation of students have stepped into society with a strong sense of responsibility and commitment, dedicating themselves to environmental protection, while research成果 continue to take root and bear fruit, contributing to the nation’s lucid waters and lush mountains.
Over more than two decades at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, He Shengbing has supervised 32 master’s students, 11 doctoral students, and 3 postdoctoral researchers. Students from his research group have received the National Inspirational Scholarship on three occasions and university-level scholarships on twelve occasions, as well as the Gao Tingyao Scholarship and the Tang Xiaoyan Scholarship (one recipient each). He has mentored two Shanghai Outstanding Graduates and five Shanghai Jiao Tong University Outstanding Graduates. Among his employed graduates, many have received provincial and municipal talent honors, including the Shanghai “March 8 Red-Banner Pace-setter,” the May 1st Labor Medal, Jiangsu Province’s “Taodu Talent” Program, the Shanghai Young Sailing Scholars Program, the Postdoctoral Innovation Talent Program, and the Shanghai Super Postdoctoral Program. Nearly all of his graduates have devoted themselves to environmental protection after graduation—some working in research institutes, others serving in government environmental agencies, and still others traveling to remote regions to engage in ecological restoration. He takes great pride in his students’ choices, which in turn motivates him to continuously reflect on how to better integrate the principle of fostering virtue through education into both teaching and research.
From youthful black hair to graying temples, from the lectern to rivers and lakes, and from the laboratory to engineering sites, He Shengbing has spent more than two decades embodying the mission of a university educator—teaching and nurturing students while cultivating moral character. As he often says, “To work in environmental protection is to go where the country needs you most, to write papers on the land of our nation, and to integrate research outcomes into clear waters and green mountains.” These words are not only his original aspiration, but also a true reflection of his entire educational career.
【Profile of a Distinguished Teacher】
He Shengbing is a recipient of the First Prize of Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s 2025 Teaching Excellence Award. He serves as Deputy Party Secretary, Tenured Professor, and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He is a recipient of the Ministry of Education’s New Century Excellent Talent award, a Minhang Leading Talent, and a university-designated Career Guidance Mentor, and is a member of the inaugural National Huang Danian–Style Faculty Team. He has long been engaged in teaching and research in the fields of water pollution control and aquatic ecosystem restoration. Courses he leads have been recognized as National First-Class Undergraduate Courses, Shanghai Municipal Key Undergraduate Courses, and Shanghai Municipal Model Courses for Curriculum Ideological and Political Education. He has presided over more than 50 national, provincial, and ministerial-level research projects, published over 200 academic papers, authored four books, and holds more than 30 authorized national invention patents.
Contributing Unit: School of Ocean and Civil Engineering; Office of Faculty Affairs; News Center
Translated by: Zara
Proofread by: Denise
