07 Aug 2025
Ms. Junyue Zhou, a second-year PhD student supervised by Dr. Peng Zhao from the Department of Health and Environmental Sciences at the School of Science, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), was awarded the Best Poster Presentation Award at the 2025 International Summer School on Climate Change and Related Risk: Human Activity and Weather/Climate Extremes, held by Fudan University.
Junyue’s innovative research focuses on greenhouse gas emissions from aquatic ecosystems, with a particular emphasis on methane emissions from inland waters. Her award-winning poster, titled “Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Aquatic Ecosystems”, explored the spatial pattern and controlling factors of riverine methane emissions.
“Methane has a much higher global warming potential than carbon dioxide, yet the contribution of inland waters as a major methane source is often overlooked,” Junyue explained. “Our research suggests that land use management and carbon input control could be effective strategies to mitigate methane emissions and address global warming.”
According to Junyue，the three-week summer school attracted outstanding students from more than ten countries and featured a diverse range of activities, including expert lectures, academic presentation competitions, interdisciplinary group projects, and field trips. Junyue shared that a key motivation for applying was her desire to deepen her understanding of climate change and related risks, as well as to actively engage in interdisciplinary academic exchange of ideas.
“It was a fantastic platform to exchange ideas with peers and researchers from diverse backgrounds,” she said. “It greatly broadened my academic horizons.”
Among the many lectures, Junyue found the session by Professor Maria Kanakidou on “Climate Change Impacts on Atmospheric Deposition over Ocean and Ecosystems” especially insightful and impactful.
“Her lecture inspired me to consider incorporating atmospheric deposition into my own research and expanded how I understand methane emission mechanisms in aquatic systems.”
Reflecting on her award and experience, Junyue emphasized that the summer school provided more than just recognition — it was a key moment in her academic development and growth. “While preparing my poster, I learned how to balance technical depth with simplicity, making the content accessible to audiences from different disciplines. It taught me that scientific communication and interdisciplinary engagement are just as important as the research itself.”
Looking ahead, Junyue plans to expand her doctoral research to include different geographic regions and integrate advanced tools such as remote sensing and machine learning to improve data collection and analysis.
“This experience has reinforced my commitment to interdisciplinary research. By combining biogeochemistry, ecology, and environmental modelling, I hope to develop a more systematic understanding of greenhouse gas emissions from inland water systems and contribute to climate mitigation efforts.”
Zhou Junyue made many international friends at the summer school. On the far left is a student from the Russian State Hydrometeorological University.
Zhou Junyue and her summer school instructors. On the left is Professor Guy Brasseur from the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Germany (Member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, Foreign Member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, and Member of the Academia Europaea).
By Luyao Wang
Photos：Junyue Zhou
Review：Professor John Moraros，Dr Peng Zhao，Junyue Zhou
07 Aug 2025