Xie Xianchuan: Embodying "Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets" in Watershed Environmental Protection

He has deeply embraced the philosophy that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" and put it into relentless action. For more than two decades, he has been committed to the forefront of research on watershed water environmental protection and pollution control. He is a diligent researcher, an outstanding educator, and an active promoter of the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. He is Professor Xie Xianchuan from the School of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanchang University!

Committed to Scientific Research: Deeply Engaged in Watershed Water Environment Governance

Since embarking on his research journey in 2003, Xie Xianchuan has forged an indissoluble bond with environmental protection. From Zhejiang University to the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, from Nanjing University to Nanchang University, his research footprint has always centered on the protection and improvement of the water environment. After obtaining his doctoral degree from Nanjing University in 2010, he stayed to teach there, and in 2021, he joined Nanchang University as an introduced talent.

As a renowned scholar in the field of watershed water environmental protection and pollution control, Professor Xie Xianchuan has presided over more than 20 vertical scientific research projects, including national major water special projects, General Programs, Regional Programs and Youth Programs of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, central special funds for water pollution prevention and control, and the Innovative Leading Talents Program of Jiangxi Provincial "Double Thousand Plan". Focusing on nationally important watersheds such as Poyang Lake and the Huaihe River Basin, he has systematically carried out research on pollutant migration and transformation, cost-effective pollution control technologies and management strategies, and constructed a full-chain innovation model of "technology R&D - achievement transformation - industrial promotion". This model has provided strong scientific and technological support for water pollution control in watersheds including Poyang Lake and the Huaihe River. With his outstanding academic achievements and profound professional attainments, he was selected into the Innovative Leading Talents Program of Jiangxi Provincial "Double Thousand Plan" in 2023 and recognized as a Class C high-level talent of Jiangxi Province in 2024.

Innovation-Driven Leadership: From Basic Research to Technological Breakthroughs

Professor Xie Xianchuan has always adhered to the orientation of national needs, closely integrating basic research with technological development. He has made a series of breakthroughs in new environmental functional materials and watershed water pollution control technologies. Related technologies have obtained more than 30 invention patents authorized in China, the United States, Japan and other countries. As the first or corresponding author, he has published more than 80 SCI-indexed papers in top journals in the environmental field such as Environmental Science & Technology and Water Research, and authored 5 academic monographs and textbooks. He has won important awards including the Second Prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award and the First Prize of the Environmental Protection Science and Technology Award of the Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences, earning high recognition from the academic community.

In recent years, leading his team to address the total phosphorus pollution issue in Poyang Lake, he has expanded his research direction to the resource utilization of sewage and waste. He has innovatively developed bio-based soil water-retaining and fertility-enhancing agents and liquid biodegradable agricultural mulch films using livestock and poultry manure, realizing the synergistic effect of waste resource utilization and environmental pollution control. He has also developed key technologies and equipment for the resource utilization and harmless treatment of rural sewage. These achievements won gold medals at both the 8th China (Shanghai) International Invention and Innovation Exhibition and the 29th National Invention Exhibition cum BRICS Skills Development and Technology Innovation Competition in 2025, demonstrating promising application prospects.

Devoted to Education: A Practitioner of Teaching Innovation

Professor Xie Xianchuan teaches courses such as Environmental Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship, committing himself to cultivating students' innovative spirit and practical ability. He emphasizes the importance of fostering students' capacity to discover and solve problems.

With a keen grasp of the trends in education and teaching reform, he has actively explored hybrid teaching models, and presided over the completion of multiple teaching research projects including the Industry-University Cooperation Collaborative Education Project of the Ministry of Education and the Teaching Reform Research Project of Higher Education Institutions (Undergraduate Level) in Jiangxi Province. The course Environmental Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship that he teaches was selected as a First-Class Undergraduate Course of University-Enterprise Cooperation in Jiangxi Province, and the textbook he compiled was included in the Key Textbook Construction Project for Undergraduates of Nanchang University.

In 2024, leading his teaching team with the teaching innovation achievements of Environmental Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship, he successively won the First Prize in the Nanchang University Teachers' Teaching Innovation Competition, the Special Prize in the Jiangxi Provincial University Teachers' Teaching Innovation Competition, and finally the Third Prize in the National University Teachers' Teaching Innovation Competition, achieving a historic breakthrough for the school in this competition.

Effective Mentorship: A Guide on Students' Life Journey

In his courses, Xie Xianchuan systematically clarifies the professional positioning of environmental engineering and national demand orientation for students. He also pays close attention to students' status, conducts periodic conversations with them, guides them to make future plans, and actively helps students resolve issues such as unclear self-positioning and confusion about the future.

Teacher Xie has always encouraged independent thinking and respected students' opinions. When students hold different views from him in class, he regards this as a positive thing and encourages them to actively try out their ideas. He believes that in this process, students can gradually find correct viewpoints and better accept them, and also gain experience through exploring different paths.

"Research progress is based on the sparks of ideological collisions and brainstorming," says Teacher Xie, encouraging students to actively communicate with teachers. Guided by this teaching philosophy, he has mentored numerous students to win many awards.

Professor Xie Xianchuan has always upheld the belief of "writing research papers on the land of the motherland". His research achievements have not only exerted an important influence in the academic community, but also played a tangible role in the practice of environmental pollution control.

Teacher Xie has never slackened in scientific research and learning, maintaining a rigorous and diligent attitude. He sets an example for students, teaching them to keep learning and making progress.

Today, Professor Xie Xianchuan is still busy at the forefront of scientific research and teaching, carrying out technological research and talent cultivation. His story is a vivid portrayal of a contemporary researcher who stays true to his original aspiration, keeps his mission firmly in mind, and marches forward courageously on the journey of ecological civilization construction.