On August 10, the 2024 International Water Association (IWA) World Water Congress & Exhibition (WWCE) commenced in Toronto, Canada. Qu Jiuhui, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Distinguished Professor at School of Environment (SOE), Tsinghua University, and Researcher at the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), received the IWA Honorary Membership, marking the first time this award has been conferred upon a Chinese scholar. Professor Hu Hongying from SOE received the 2024 IWA Publishing Award, becoming the first scholar from Asia to receive this honor.

Qu Jiuhui delivers an acceptance speech

IWA is a leading global academic organization in the water sector. The IWA Honorary Membership is one of the highest honors bestowed by the IWA to its members, recognizing individuals who have made significant contributions to the water industry. It is awarded every two years at the IWA WWCE. Academician Qu Jiuhui served on the IWA Board of Directors from 2008 to 2012 and was elected as one of the first Distinguished Fellows of the IWA in 2013. He has significantly contributed to promoting China's involvement in IWA activities, advancing the IWA's presence in China, and enhancing the international influence of China's water sector, earning him high recognition in the global water community. He has long engaged in research on water quality and water ecology protection, achieving systematic innovations in fundamental theory and engineering applications. His work has made significant scientific and technological contributions to ensuring the safety of urban and rural drinking water and to addressing water pollution challenges. He has received one First Prize of the State Science and Technology Advancement Award, four Second Prizes of the State Science and Technology Advancement Award and the State Technological Innovation Award, the CAS Outstanding Achievement Award in Science and Technology, the Science and Technology Progress Award of Ho Leung Ho Lee Foundation, the China Guanghua Engineering Science and Technology Award, and the IWA Project Innovation Award, among others.

IWA Publishing Award of Hu Hongying

Established in 2002, the IWA Publishing Award recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to IWA's publishing activities. Awarded biennially, it honors one person at each cycle, and to date, only 10 people globally have received this accolade. As a co-editor of the IWA-published academic journal Water Reuse, Hu Hongying has made exceptional contributions to the journal's development. Under his advocacy and leadership, the Water Reuse journal underwent a comprehensive overhaul at the beginning of 2021. This included a renaming of the journal, a reorganization of the editorial team, and a complete revision of the journal's thematic scope and content sections. Currently, the journal has seen significant improvements in paper quality, review speed, impact factor, and international influence. It has been successfully included in China's High-Quality Sci-Tech Journal Classification Directory in the Field of Environmental Science. Hu Hongying and his team have focused on water reuse for over 20 years. They have advanced research and practical applications in this area, established high-level academic exchange platforms, and facilitated academic innovation and the development of international and national standards. Their efforts have supported the large-scale use of recycled water in China and promoted the growth of the water reuse industry.