On December 7, 2025, the Third Belt and Road Youth International Conference on Green and Low-Carbon Innovation and Development was held at Zhejiang University of Science and Technology. The conference was guided by organizations including the China Association of Circular Economy and the Zhejiang Provincial College Student Science and Technology Competition Committee, and jointly hosted by Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Ghent University (Belgium), and the Zhejiang Society of Circular Economy. It facilitated in-depth discussions centered on the theme of "Green, Low-Carbon, and Youth Innovation Development." Saadat Fatima, an international student at Zhejiang University, was invited to attend and present her latest research findings in the fields of sustainable energy and resource cycling.

The conference aimed to promote international exchange and cooperation among youth in the green and low-carbon sector, bringing together young scholars and industry experts from multiple countries to explore future-oriented environmental technologies and innovative pathways. Saadat Fatima presented her research titled "A pathway to Carbon-free cogeneration: Optimizing performance in a two-bed Adsorption desalination cum cooling system," focusing on the integrated application of adsorption technology in areas such as environmental remediation, carbon capture, water treatment, and cooling systems.

In her presentation, she highlighted the significant potential of adsorption-based desalination systems in addressing global water scarcity and high-temperature cooling demands. Her research team achieved a notable improvement in the overall performance of the dual-bed adsorption desalination and cooling system by optimizing its operational strategy, rather than relying solely on innovations in adsorbent materials. This approach, which reconfigured the cycle's operational mechanism, demonstrated superior efficiency compared to traditional designs in experiments, narrowed the performance gap with systems using high-cost adsorbents, and provided an economically viable technological pathway for scalable and sustainable production of fresh water and cooling energy.

Saadat Fatima stated that this research strives to provide interdisciplinary solutions to energy and water resource challenges in the context of climate change, reflecting the active contributions of young researchers in the field of green innovation under the Belt and Road Initiative. Zhejiang University consistently encourages students to participate in high-level international academic exchanges, and her attendance at this conference demonstrates the university's ongoing commitment to cultivating talent with global perspectives and innovative capabilities.

The conference served as a dialogue platform for young scholars worldwide in the fields of low-carbon technology and sustainable development, further promoting cooperation and knowledge sharing in green technologies among countries along the Belt and Road.

Student Reflection

Today’s Third Belt and Road Youth International Conference, centered on green and low-carbon innovation and development, was truly inspiring. As a specially invited guest, I was deeply moved by the vibrant collective energy and spirit of innovation demonstrated by young leaders from around the world.

These exchanges have further strengthened my belief that international cooperation—especially within the Belt and Road framework—is crucial to accelerating our transition toward a sustainable future. This serves as a powerful reminder that the key to tackling our shared climate challenges lies in empowering this generation to share knowledge, exchange technologies, and pursue together a vision of a greener planet.

As I left the conference, I felt both optimistic and reinvigorated with confidence that we can achieve tangible results by working together.

2021 PhD student in Power Engineering and Engineering Thermophysics

Saadat Fatima