Recently, students from the Class of 2024 majoring in Environmental Engineering at the School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, led by Associate Professor Li Weihua and Associate Professor Fan Hongyong, came to our company for a professional orientation internship. This marks another collaboration between the School of Environmental Engineering at Qingdao University of Technology and North Star Recycling. The students’ first foray into front-line industry practice is an important step from classroom theory learning toward practical industry awareness.
First Impressions in the Showroom
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The internship group first visited North Star Recycling’s corporate showroom. Guided by the docent, the students systematically learned about the company’s innovation journey from its founding to its growth into an industry leader.
The models of lithium-ion battery waste treatment processes and the circular economy industry map on display in the showroom visually illustrated the complete path of emerging industrial waste – ‘from recycling to regeneration.’ The students gradually came to understand the development trajectory of North Star Recycling and circular technology.
Special Lecture
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Subsequently, Dr. Liu, a technical expert at North Star Recycling, delivered a special lecture to the faculty and students. Taking the company’s technical system as a thread, the lecture connected industry trends with real-world cases, explaining the technical principles and environmental requirements of e-waste resource recovery in an accessible and insightful way.
During the lecture, Dr. Liu drew on the current ‘dual carbon’ goals and the development trends of the circular economy to analyze the challenges and opportunities facing the industry, and answered questions from the students present from a cutting-edge industry perspective.
Deep into the Workshop
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After leaving the showroom, the internship group walked into North Star Recycling’s demonstration workshop for on-site observation. Transforming classroom theory into visible process flows was a valuable gain for the students in this segment.
The efficient operation of automated equipment in the workshop, the refined management of operational processes, and the strict environmental protection measures all gave the students a brand-new understanding of the modern circular industry. The power of technology makes resource regeneration more efficient and environmentally friendly.
Professor Li, who led the group, said: ‘This is the second professional orientation activity with North Star Recycling. The Class of 2024 Environmental Engineering students came to North Star Recycling to connect their professional knowledge with industrial practice and gain first-hand understanding of the industry’s cutting-edge technologies and directions.’ Through on-site visits and interactive exchanges, the students not only deepened their understanding of the value of the circular economy, but also gained a clearer awareness of the role environmental engineering will play in future green industries.
As an innovation platform focused on circular technology, North Star Recycling continuously strives to build a practical bridge between universities and enterprises, advancing the ‘integration of industry and education with practice.’ From the macro tour of the showroom, to the systematic learning of the lecture, to the micro inspection of the workshop, the students gradually built a three-dimensional understanding of the circular industry through ‘seeing, listening, asking, and reflecting,’ and personally witnessed the broad prospects of environmental engineering in sustainable development.
This hands-on course on resources, environment, and sustainable development closely connects theoretical knowledge with industrial practice, injecting fresh vitality into the future of circular technology and jointly pointing toward a cleaner, more sustainable tomorrow.