When science changes the destiny of a lake

SDC students and researchers recently spotted a familiar face on the front page of the Chinese magazine ‘International Talent’. 

It was Professor Erik Jeppesen, one of the world’s leading figures in limnology, the science of inland waters, and lake ecosystem restoration. 

He is also a well-known teacher, researcher and supervisor within SDC. For more than 20 years, he has collaborated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, providing key scientific guidance to help revive China’s lakes.

‘Lake ecosystem restoration is not an overnight achievement. It requires scientific planning, long-term investment, and international collaboration,’ Erik Jeppesen says in the magazine.

Driving progress through cross-border collaboration

Professor Peter Engelund Holm from the University of Copenhagen, Principal Coordinator of SDC’s Water and Environment research theme, calls freshwater ecology a prime example of SDC’s impact and potential.

‘First, strong personal connections between Danish and Chinese researchers have been crucial. Second, this research addresses urgent pressures on ecosystems caused by climate change. Third, China has invested heavily in this field,’ Peter Engelund Holm explains.

Other SDC research areas are also thriving and benefiting from cross-border collaboration. Peter Engelund Holm highlights urban planning and the water cycle. In China, the focus is on developing ‘sponge cities’ that manage rainfall sustainably. In Denmark, the challenge lies in adapting existing urban structures - often in historic cities - to cope with climate change.

Educating the next generation of scientists

From the start, SDC prioritised building lasting Denmark-China collaborations, including through the education of Master’s degree and PhD students. Over the years, SDC has co-funded more than 250 PhD students from the Danish universities - almost 50 from Water and Environment - and welcomed almost 2,000 Master’s degree students from around the world, primarily Denmark and China.

Erik Jeppesen is Professor at the Department of Ecoscience - Freshwater Ecology, Aarhus University. From the very beginning of SDC, he has taught and supervised Master’s degree and PhD students within the Water and Environment research area.

‘In the next decade, I expect more young Chinese scientists to lead international collaborations,’ Erik Jeppesen predicts in the magazine.

Peter Engelund Holm sees educating Master’s degree and PhD students as one of the most important contributions a research field can make.

‘SDC not only produces top researchers but also people who enter the private sector and now work on lake restoration and other projects where they apply research in very practical ways,’ says Peter Engelund Holm.

The full article explores how China has evolved from importing knowledge to developing and exporting innovative technologies and models. It also highlights important results - like Lake Taihu, which in 2024 achieved its best water quality in 30 years.