Campus In China Research Articles

Characteristics, environmental impact, and reduction strategies of food waste generated by young adults: Case study on university canteens in Wuhan, China

Food waste (FW) generated by students or young adults, who belong to a huge consumer group, has gained immense attention since they have turned out to be a huge consumers group. Considering the university canteens (25–30 million people living on campus in China) as an example, we combined direct weighing, questionnaires, statistical analysis, and a random forest model to quantify the FW and identify the key influencing factors based on a total of 1,612 weighed samples and 1222 questionnaires from seven universities in Wuhan city in 2019. The associated environmental impacts of FW were evaluated using LCA. The results showed that university students in Wuhan city produced FW 135 ± 114 g per capita per meal (406 ± 337 g per capita per day), or approximately 53 kilotons per year (2019) (134 kiloton CO2e) of FW, of which lunch generated the highest waste. The relationship between the FW generated and students' age and gender were significant; for example, seniors produced more FW than freshmen, and male students wasted less food than the female students. The results of random forst indicated that the most key factor influding FW was excessive purchasing. Student's environmental protection consciousness and attitudes toward avoiding wasting food (e.g., a strong feeling of guilt) were viewed as the most important factors that prevent FW. In addition, the appropriate quantity and quality of food provided by canteens are probably the dominant approaches in reducing FW.

A comparative study on knowledge towards COVID-19 prevention among undergraduate students in Macao and Zhuhai, China.

In order to develop the strategy more suitable campus-based coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention programs for undergraduate students, it is critical to identify discrepancies in knowledge of COVID-19 prevention among students from different campuses in China. The present study examined the difference in preventive knowledge about COVID-19 pandemic in undergraduate students from two cities of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), which had very few cases of COVID-19 patients, and Zhuhai, which is borders Macao SAR. In August 2020, two cohorts of undergraduate students from universities in Macao (n = 977) and Zhuhai (n = 2,818) were recruited for online. The self-rating questionnaire was used to gain information about their knowledge in COVID-19 prevention. Macao and Zhuhai students had similar correct rates in terms of heat inactivation conditions of SARS-CoV-2, (76.8% vs. 76.9%, P = 0.950), etiquette when coughing and sneezing (75.9% vs. 75.0%, P = 0.562), and use of disposable masks (92.2% vs. 90.6%, P = 0.126). However, students from Macao had significantly higher rates in correct use of disinfectants against SARS-CoV-2 (24.6% vs. 17.5%, P < 0.001) and in the route of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (84.5% vs. 79.6%, P < 0.001) than those from Zhuhai. In conclusion, the knowledge level of COVID-19 prevention differs among undergraduate students from Macao and Zhuhai, which warrants an appropriate region-specific health education strategie for COVID-19 prevention.

Dancing K-Pop with Chinese and “English in Class Please”: Policy Negotiations as Relational-Languaging Episodes

Pointing out that language policy negotiations in classroom discourse are an understudied kind of “language-related episode”, and proposing that Tim Ingold’s notion of “meshwork” dissolves a boundary that typically encloses their analysis, this paper examines how a rich and indicative example of student group interaction on a British university campus in China becomes interwoven with multiple threads, including: different languages, Korean pop dance moves, coffee from the campus Starbucks, and the teacher’s repeated attempts at English-Medium Instruction policy enforcement. Our example was discovered in corpus recordings of group activities during classes in English for Academic Purposes, then transcribed for embodied activity (primarily speech and gesture) and further explored in relation to the multiple threads which visibly and audibly became involved. Analysis of the episode shows how students’ relational-languaging behaviours must negotiate, respond, and adapt to the policy enforcement, illustrating some of the tensions immanent to the transnational higher education experience.

Transnational universities, host communities and local residents: social impacts, university social responsibility and campus sustainability

Purpose This paper aims to discuss how transnational universities create negative and positive social impacts on their host communities and what this means for campus sustainability and the expectation that universities contribute to sustainable development and to their local communities. Design/methodology/approach Using mixed methods, a multiple case study approach and qualitative meta-analysis, this study considers six transnational university campuses in China in terms of their relationship with local communities. Findings Because of the good reputation of universities generally, local residents tended to accord a social licence to operate (i.e. approval) to new university campuses. However, universities generally do not manage their social impacts, as well as many other industries and generally fail to consider the corporate social responsibility issues and the environmental, social and governance aspects of their activities. To improve their social licence to operate and grow and to meet expectations around “university social responsibility”, campus developments should observe key international principles and human rights standards: full disclosure of information; effective community engagement; appropriate resettlement and livelihood restoration; effective harm reduction procedures; provision of local benefits (benefit sharing); monitoring and adaptive management and implement a grievance redress mechanism. Originality/value This paper encourages broader thinking about sustainability in a higher education context and about what university social responsibility entails. Specifically, this study argues that the relationship between universities and their host communities also needs to be considered, especially during campus construction.

Condom Use Consistency and Associated Factors Among College Student Men Who Have Sex with Men from Seven Colleges in Changsha City: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

BackgroundCollege student men who have sex with men (MSM) are at high risk for HIV infection due to multiple social and behavioral factors. Consistent condom use is nationally advocated for HIV prevention. This study explored the sexual behaviors and factors associated with condom use consistency in the past six months among college student MSM from seven colleges in Hunan Province, China.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted from September 2017 to March 2018. Condom use consistency, sexual behaviors, HIV testing performance, substance use, and alcohol consumption were examined using researcher-created questionnaires. Condom use self-efficacy and HIV-related knowledge were assessed using the Condom Use Self-Efficacy Scale and the unified National AIDS Sentinel Surveillance Questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used. P <0.05 was considered significant.ResultsIn the 214 respondents, the rate of consistent condom use was 56% (n = 119) during the past six months. Participants who were studying at first-tier universities (odds ratio [OR]: 2.522, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.255–5.067) and had higher scores for condom use self-efficacy (OR: 2.617, 95% CI: 1.462–4.685) were more likely to report consistent condom use than the others. The risk factor was having suspicious symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases (OR: 0.357, 95% CI: 0.163–0.780).ConclusionNumerous students were at high risk of HIV infection with inconsistent condom use. Comprehensive and specific topics about safe sex education from parents and peers should be offered on campuses in China.

Disentangling residential self-selection from the influence of built environment characteristics on adiposity outcomes among undergraduate students in China

Although many studies have confirmed the effects of the built environment on adiposity outcomes in the general population, evidence for young adults is scarce. Furthermore, most prior studies are prone to residential self-selection bias due to the nature of cross-sectional research design, which makes the built environment–adiposity relationship spurious. In this study, we explored the associations between the built environment and three objectively measured adiposity outcomes for a large representative sample of 20,227 undergraduate students from 89 university campuses in China. The adiposity outcomes were measured by body mass index (BMI), waist circumstance (WC), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). The residential self-selection bias was largely mitigated because these students are required to live in campus dormitories. As shown by multilevel models, street connectivity, population density, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) within and around the campus environment were negatively associated with the odds of adiposity to different extents. Furthermore, the adiposity outcomes of male and low cost-of-living undergraduates were more likely to be affected by built environment characteristics compared to female and high cost-of-living undergraduates. Hence, to deliver effective environment interventions to curb the prevalence of adiposity among undergraduate students, policymakers and university managers are advised to create a more carefully conceived campus environment.

The motivation and development impact of energy saving to sustainability in the construction of green campus: a case study of the Zhejiang University, China

The construction of green campus is related to the global sustainable development. Under the guidance of campus energy-saving policy, China’s green campus mainly focuses on campus’ energy saving. In contrast, the green campus in the USA pays more attention to environmental problems. This study focuses on the impact of “energy saving” on the sustainable development of green campus. On the one hand, it puts forward targeted optimization suggestions for the Chinese universities. On the other hand, it provides the experience reference and new development ideas for the global campus sustainability. Based on the characteristics of the development mode of green campus in China and the USA, this paper studies the motivation of “energy saving” to “sustainability” in the construction of green campus in China. In terms of research methods, this paper selects Zhejiang University a typical representative of China’s green campus that combined with the comparative group of four American universities and conducts a quantitative analysis of G-value and S-value that represented energy consumption and sustainability, respectively. Zhejiang University’s G-value (0.019) in 2016 is one-sixth of that of the comparative group in the same period, indicating that the implementation effect of the energy-saving monitoring platform is remarkable. From 2014 to 2017, the G-values are basically stable at 0.02, indicating that its future development potential is insufficient. Zhejiang University’s scores in the four categories of S-value are significantly lower than those in the comparative group, showing that there are great differences in the construction achievements of the five universities. According to the score rate of 17 sub-items of S-value, the five universities have different advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, the green campus construction of China’s case university is too one-sided and only stays at the level of energy conservation. The diversification of construction and the balanced development of all aspects should be paid more attention in the future.

A Study on the Construction of Informal Learning Spaces (ILSs) on University Campuses in China

The main research object of this paper is informal learning spaces (ILSs) on Chinese university campuses. Due to the traditional educational system, Chinese dominated pedagogy is examination-oriented and talent training, which restrict students’ abilities of self-learning and group collaboration, so students lack reasonable and effective independent and cooperative learning opportunities and awareness. Additionally, because of the influence of national government will, most of Chinese university campuses construction process lack the consideration of the main users of them-students. They are hard to meet the students’ rich daily lives, lacking the construction of ILSs. The students’ learning and life on the campus are fixed on the three points of “classroom-dining hall-dormitory”. Lacking the construction of spatial layers and atmosphere, public spaces on campuses are difficult to attract students to stay, to carry out various activities and to meet the diverse learning patterns of contemporary university students. According to the problems above, this paper puts forward the construction strategy of ILSs on university campuses by means of interviews and questionnaire. On the basis of this theory, this paper analyses the various environmental factors on the campuses based on the survey questionnaire, and further puts forward the conceptive ILSs unit model, which is suitable for outdoor and indoor spaces on campuses. Finally, according to the classification of external space and internal space, the six sorts of campus spaces which are square, landscape, pedestrian, architectural entrance, architectural transport and architectural atrium, are discussed respectively, and the construction strategies and theoretical models of ILSs which are suitable for these spaces are summarised. With the reforming of China’s education, the pedagogy of higher education is changing gradually. The proportion of formal learning and informal learning will be balanced. Thus, the strategies and models this paper points out will help to advance this trend and the development of informal learning in Chinese higher educational institutions. However, the limitation is obvious, lacking of real cases to verify the validity of the results, so they are still theoretical.

A case study on the suitability of STARS for green campus in China

With the continuous development of China's green campus, its future construction should learn from foreign advanced development experience and achievements. On the one hand, STARS, a global advanced green campus evaluation system, should be introduced to China's green campus construction and on the other hand, the suitability for China's actual needs should also be considered. Therefore, this study mainly studies the suitability of STARS indicators for green campus in China. Taking a representative university of green campus in China as a specific case, starting from the demand side, this paper uses the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method to evaluate the users’ satisfaction of green campus construction. Comparing the result of satisfaction assessment with the result of STARS’s sustainable evaluation, the STARS’s indexes are divided into four regional grades by two-dimensional suitability evaluation coordinate system. The results show that STARS is generally suitable for green campus evaluation in China, but two of the evaluation categories need to modify the evaluation scores and weights; the other two categories are not suitable and need to be removed or changed. The purpose is to provide suggestions for the optimization of the evaluation of green campus in China.

Solid Waste Characterization and Recycling Potential for a University Campus in China

Waste characterization is the first step to a successful waste management system. This paper explores the trend of solid waste generated on a university campus (Longzi Lake Campus of Henan Agricultural University) in China and the factors that influence the potential for recycling of the waste. Face-to-face interviews were carried out for 12 consecutive months on a campus in central China, and 416 interviewees were questioned. It was found that 7.32 tonnes of solid waste were generated on the campus each day, of which 79.31% were recyclable. The characterization of major waste streams are discussed, and the results are compared with comparable data from five universities in a range of other countries (Mexico, Canada, Malaysia, Nigeria, and Ethiopia). The annual growth of GDP per capita in China over the past five years before the research appeared to play an important role in the increasing of food waste on university campus, and the proportion of food waste is found to have a positive influence on recycling potential.

Balance of Power: The Governance Structure of International Branch Campus in China

Overseas branch campus is an important component of the internationalization of higher education. This research studies three branch campuses in China—NYU-Shanghai, Duke Kunshan and Wenzhou-Kean University, analyzing their senior leaderships and the power of the home university and the local partners. Though this research is still in process, it would certainly contribute to our understanding of the internationalization of higher education in China and help institutions to choose appropriate strategies.

Simulation and design optimization of rain gardens via DRAINMOD and response surface methodology

Many studies have been conducted on the regulation effects of rain gardens on rainfall runoff. However, the parameters of rain gardens have been rarely simulated and optimized. In this study, the design parameters of rain gardens were optimized through combining the DRAINMOD model and the response surface methodology. On the basis of the monitoring data of a rain garden in the Xi’an University of Technology campus in China from 2016 to 2017, the parameter sensitivities in the DRAINMOD-H and DRAINMOD-N modules were analyzed, and the DRAINMOD model was calibrated and validated. The determination and Nash efficiency coefficients were approximately 0.8 and above 0.6, respectively, confirming that the water volume and nitrogen regulation effects of rain gardens can be simulated with DRAINMOD. Different scenarios were set up to simulate and analyze the reduction effects of rain gardens on water volume and nitrogen load. The influences of various factors, including the influent nitrogen concentration, the confluence ratio, the thickness of the filler layer, and the depth of submerged zone on the regulation effects of rain gardens were discussed. According to simulation results, these factors were optimized by using the response surface methodology to obtain the design values under different targets. The optimized minimum thickness of the filler layer is 37 cm and the maximum is 80 cm. The optimized depth of the submerged zone is at least 22 cm and the maximum is 45 cm. The treatment effects of the rain gardens are better after parameter optimization. Results can provide a scientific basis for the construction of rain garden facilities.

Cross-cultural differences in thermal comfort in campus open spaces: A longitudinal field survey in China's cold region

This study aims to identify outdoor thermal comfort (OTC) differences between two ethnic groups (Chinese (CG) and Pakistani (PG)) with different thermal perception and thermal adaption backgrounds on a campus in Xi'an, a city in the cold region of China. A thermal comfort questionnaire was conducted simultaneous with meteorological measurements in five typical campus open spaces during winter, spring and summer. The Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) was approximated as a thermal index to detect differences between CG and PG at a neutral temperature, neutral temperature range, preferred temperature, thermal acceptability range and thermal adaptation behaviors. Results demonstrated that: (1) Clothing insulation of PG was lower than that of CG among seasons. (2) The globe temperature (Tg) was the primary correlate of thermal comfort for both groups (ρCG = 0.866 and ρPG = 0.744). (3) The neutral UTCI of PG (22.4 °C) was higher than that of CG (20.4 °C). The preferred UTCI of PG (19.8 °C) was 3.5 °C lower than that of CG (23.3 °C). The neutral UTCI range of PG (16.2–28.6 °C) was higher and wider compared to that of CG (15.1–25.7 °C). (4) The thermal acceptability range of PG (12.9–28.9 °C) was wider than that of CG (15.8–28.5 °C). (5) PG managed thermal discomfort with clothing and hot/cold drinks as appropriate, while CG preferred changing location and appropriate clothing. Our results show that cross-cultural differences in thermal comfort should affect recommendations for open spaces design on multicultural campuses in China's cold region.

“I Post, therefore I Become #cosmopolitan”: The materiality of online representations of study abroad in China

AbstractDrawing on social media content created by Western‐situated transnational students as well as two international branch campuses in China, this article scrutinises the textual and visual rhetoric made available by transnational students and international branch campuses for public consumption. Particularly, it describes the ways in which intranational branch campuses and transnational students co‐produce, perform, and curate cosmopolitan sensibilities through social media. Theoretically, this paper proposes the analytical lens of materiality as one way to understand the narrative strategies employed by international branch campuses to construct China as a unique and desirable destination for international education, and by transnational students from North America and European countries to exhibit cosmopolitan practices within domains of their everyday life in China.

Outdoor thermal comfort and adaptive behaviors in a university campus in China's hot summer-cold winter climate region

Outdoor thermal comfort in the university campus is an important issue for encouraging students' outdoor activities and interactions. This research conducted field measurement and questionnaire survey in a university campus in Mianyang, located in the hot summer and cold winter climate zone according to China's climate classification for building design and the dry-winter subtropical climate according to the Köppen climate classification. The measurements were conducted over six days in winter and four days in summer; meanwhile, the survey collected 523 responses. Respondents preferred “slightly warm” in winter and “slightly cool” in summer. The range of 90% acceptable PET (Physiologically Equivalent Temperature) was higher than 20.2 °C in winter, lower than 35.6 °C in summer, and between 20.5 °C and 35.7 °C in a year. When PET increased by one degree Celsius, the probability of “using umbrella”, “taking off clothes” and “going to a shaded place” increased by 22.6%, 4.9% and 16.6%, respectively; while the probability of “staying under the sun” decreased by 17.5%. Neutral temperatures in different seasons were examined and compared with those from other studies. These findings provide evidence for planning and design strategies to improve the thermal environment of outdoor spaces.

An energy planning oriented method for analyzing spatial-temporal characteristics of electric loads for heating/cooling in district buildings with a case study of one university campus

Accurate grasp of district power demand is of great significance to both sizing of district power supply and its operation optimization. In this study, an index system has been established and visualized through a Geographic Information System, for revealing both temporal and spatial characteristics of district power loads caused by heating/cooling systems, including load level and fluctuation characteristics, spatial distribution of electric loads, and load coupling relationships between individual buildings and the district. Principal component analysis was applied to identify the buildings with significant impact on district load management. Using this method, the spatial-temporal characteristics of electric loads caused by heating in one university campus in China were analyzed. The results showed that building type and the operation modes had great effects on the level and volatility of the district electric load caused by heating. Buildings with high load levels and strong coupling with the peak district electric load, such as academic buildings, often had a major impact on the power demand of the district. Therefore, they were considered as key targets for energy-saving renovation and operation optimization. Buildings with large load fluctuation, such as teaching buildings, could contribute to the peak load shaving by adjusting the heating systems’ operation.

The social impacts of a stop-start transnational university campus: How the impact history and changing plans of projects affect local communities

Transnational higher education, in all its varied forms including offshore campuses, is a huge business, especially in relation to China. As at 2019, nine foreign universities had established campuses in China. Although generally this might be desirable, the social impacts of these campuses on local communities are overlooked. Transnational campuses take a long time to establish, and they experience delays and changes in participating parties, which creates anxiety and uncertainty for host communities. We consider the social impacts, as perceived or experienced by local residents, that arose from the attempted establishment of a transnational university campus in Yantai, Shandong Province, China. We consider how impact history and changing project plans affected residents. A major impact was prolonged uncertainty, especially now that the University of Groningen has cancelled its plans for a campus in Yantai. People felt confused about their future and some had lost trust in news about the project. Excessive expectations, impact history, changing plans, and impacts from urbanization processes generally have led to mixed feelings about the proposed campus. However, most people were willing to have a university campus nearby because they thought there would be benefits, even though they also considered they would experience negative impacts.

The inspiration of rainwater utilization of foreign sponge campus landscape planning for Beijing

In this article, through selecting the good effects examples of sponge campus construction in the university of Pennsylvania, Salem State University, Arizona State University, State University of New York, and other landscape transformation as the research objects, the paper focuses on the application of sponge city concept in foreign campus landscape planning. It analysis design methods in response to the campus the ecological sustainable public green space design, the rain garden design, roof garden, ecological grass ditch and a series of soil restoration based on the sponge city idea. At the same time, it selects the construction of sponge campus of Beijing Jiaotong University as a comparative study example, in order to explore the potential rainwater utilization and development of sponge campus in China.

Numerical investigations on outdoor thermal comfort for built environment: case study of a Northwest campus in China

Outdoor thermal comfort has been receiving more and more attentions due to the increased demand of outdoor activities during last decades. People require good thermal comfort when they are exposed ...

Application of the Technology in Sponge Campus in China

In recent years, China has vigorously promoted the theory of Sponge City to deal with the increasingly serious water problem in urban. As a classification of Sponge City, the theory and practice of Sponge Campus have a huge exemplary effect. In order to facilitate the research, firstly, the paper analyzes the main situation of campus construction in China, points out its shortcomings in the use of rainwater resources, which also reflects the necessity and long-term significance of the Sponge Campus construction in China. In order to further promote the practice and theoretical research of the Sponge Campus in China, this paper analyzes the technology and strategy in the construction and landscape design of several Sponge Campuses at home and abroad, and discusses the planning and design methods of the Sponge Campus. These reference cases not only include the new Sponge Campus projects, but also the sponge transformation of traditional buildings, which has rich reference value. On the basis of cases study and combined with the concrete practices of the Sponge Campus construction, this paper puts forward some design principles of sponge campus construction, expecting the further development of relevant theories, so as to promote the construction of sponge campus for ecological development in China.