On the morning of April 19th, accompanied by STEM coordinator Mr. Liao Hui and Ms. Chen Lin, students from SHSID visited the State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research at East China Normal University. Prestigious scholars and professors from SKLEC warmly welcomed SHSID students and introduced the history and basic information about the lab. The SKLEC mainly studies the geological formation of estuarine, the ecological environment of the estuarine area, dynamic geomorphology, and so on. Through Mr. Gao’s introduction, the students learned about how the lab helped the city of Shanghai to develop and become the first-class international city it is today.

Following the introduction was a tour of a world class laboratory. Once the students stepped in the refined labs, they were completely stunned by the tidy and impressive devices within it. The professors were kind enough to explain how each machine worked and what each lab was used for. They even met researchers who were conducting experiments. The researchers were considerate enough to stop what they were doing in order to explain each and every little detail.

After lunch, students had a Q&A session with the professors. Many of them had questions for the professors. Some of the more interesting questions centered around the topic of micro plastics in bodies of water. There were many other questions as well, and the professors were kind enough to answer all of them. The professors talked about everything from macro environmental science to future programs for Chong Ming Island. This was no doubt a great experience for everyone involved. The students extend their sincerest thanks to all of the professors and teachers that accompanied them throughout their adventure—they all had a blast!

(Written by Sofia Jansson, Chen Lin           Pictures by Liao Hui )