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Task Group
IWWGyoung

TG Leader: Francesco Garbo, Lingyue Zhang, Valentina Grossule


Background & Scope

Although many opportunities (e.g. funding, grants, etc.) are specifically dedicated to young researchers, the current fragmentation of the young community, especially in terms of interconnections and cooperation, tends to strongly limit such possibilities.
The ultimate goal of this IWWG Task Group, IWWGyoung, established in October 2018, is the creation of an international working group, with members coming from both developed and developing countries, based on the sharing of valuable information and on the arrangement of international collaborations within the young researchers community, in the field of solid waste management. In this way the professional and academic young researchers will be encouraged in promoting, inside the young communities, the education and good practices in solid waste management worldwide through the development of new ideas, with an approach full of the enthusiasm, curiosity and motivation.
This Task Group focuses transversely on solid waste management, but the topics are considered from a different perspective: the sustainability, feasibility, reliability of new ideas/systems/scenarios should be always assessed together with the applicability to different contexts, countries or geographical areas, as a reflection of the international spirit of the group.
The target includes young researchers. The threshold is not based on the age of researchers, but on their positions: Ph.D. students, Post-docs, Research fellows are welcome to join the Task Group.

Objectives

Specific objectives of the group include:

  • Development of new collaborations on specific topics in which environmental practices of different Countries (the Countries of the members) are compared and discussed;
  • Identification of new and innovative research topics with a special focus on the needs which must be addressed in future;
  • Identification of international young partners which are  interested in sharing ideas and cooperation projects.

Topics

The topics of interest include (but are not limited to):

  • Generation of renewable energy from waste;
  • Application of the circular economy principles to the solid waste management sector;
  • Sustainable solid waste management in different countries;
  • Safe waste management in developing countries;
  • Integrated solid and liquid waste management;
  • Hazardous and industrial waste management;
  • Innovative landfill leachate treatment;
  • New techniques for the remediation of contaminated sites;
  • Ecotoxicology;
  • LCA and LCC;
  • Law and policy on solid waste management.

Activities and mode of operation

The group will meet at least once a year during the IWWG conferences. These meetings will be particularly useful to finalize collaborations and projects. Group members will present their work, have a deep discussion and solve problems encountered in their study with young researchers in related fields. The conferences will also offer the opportunity to advertise the group and meet new young researchers which might be interested in joining the group. The conferences will be considered active moments to write drafts of project proposals, attend presentations specifically dedicated to young researchers held by experts in the field, meet private companies to identify practical needs, suggest solutions and get funding for new researchers.

In order to keep members in touch constantly, a blog-like platform will be launched soon.  It will be used to share not only knowledge and information, new ideas, and proposals, but also updates on job opportunities specifically dedicated to young researchers (e.g.: calls for projects, open positions, grants). This blog-like platform will be coordinated by the Task Group leaders.

Members are expected to be actively involved in contacting Ph.D. schools, research groups, etc. to promote and disseminate the activities of IWWGyoung through newsletters, PPT presentations and participation to open-day events.

Structure & Contacts

The group is led by Francesco Garbo from the University of Padova (Italy) and Lingyue Zhang from the Tsinghua University (China), together with Valentina Grossule from the University of Padova (Italy).

FRANCESCO GARBO (TG leader)
University of Padova (Italy)
Department of Industrial Engineering
Lungargine Rovetta 8, 35127 Padova (Italy)
Phone: +39 0498278990
Email: francesco.garbo.2(at)phd.unipd(dot)it

 

 

 

LINGYUE ZHANG (TG leader)
Tsinghua University (China)
School of Environment
School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing (China)
Phone: +86 18810019268
Email: zly17(at)mails.tsinghua.edu(dot)cn

 

 

 

VALENTINA GROSSULE (TG co-leader)
University of Padova (Italy)
Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering
Lungargine Rovetta 8, 35127 Padova (Italy)
Phone:+39 0498278990
Email: valentina.grossule@phd.unipd.it