On July 12, 2016, at the invitation of the Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Ian Thompson of the Department of Engineering Sciences of Oxford University visited IUE. The Director of the Key Laboratory, Professor Zhu Yongguan, presented him with a visiting researcher fellow's certificate. Subsequently, Professor Ian Thompson gave an academic report entitled "Sustainable treatment of industrial wastewater". The symposium was presided over by researcher Xin YU.
In the report, Professor Ian Thompson introduced the biological treatment and energy recovery methods of industrial wastewater, especially metal processing liquids, including bacterial screening, reactor design, biofilm removal of heavy metals, and application of nanomaterials in wastewater treatment (such as pollutant immobilization, pathogen growth inhibition and removal). Biomass recovery by microbial fuel cell and duckweed. Professor Ian Thompson had an active and extensive exchange with the teachers and students of the Institute of Urban Environment and the students of the summer school who participated in the lecture.