Hosted by the School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), the international summer school: Coast in Crisis: Impacts of Human Intervention along China’s Coastline ran from the 13th to the 26th of July, 2026. This two-week program brought together 19 students from 10 universities in China, Canada, Cambodia, South Korea, the UK, Indonesia, and Trinidad and Tobago. Student came from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds spanning academic fields in human health, physical oceanography, remote sensing, geology, and ecology. Together, we examined human impacts to the coastal environment through lectures, fieldwork and cross-cultural activities.

Participants included students from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the University of Waterloo, Fudan University, Nanjing University, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Ocean University of China, Hainan University, the University of Nottingham, the Royal University of Agriculture and Kyung Hee University. Five faculty members from SJTU, the University of Waterloo, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and the Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, served as instructors.

Group photo of summer school participants and instructors

During the program, students learned about the Yangtze River Delta, coastal processes and coastal hydrogeology. They were also introduced to geophysical methods for investigating the subsurface, including ground-penetrating radar, time-domain electromagnetics and frequency-domain electromagnetics.

A highlight of the summer school was field practice on Jiangxinzhou, a river island in the Yangtze river in Nanjing and the Lingang tidal flats in Shanghai. These activities connected classroom learning with practical observations, helping students develop a deeper understanding of human influences on riverine and coastal environments and the role of geophysical surveys in studying these changes.

                                 Participants visiting the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge.

                        Participants collecting field data on Nanhui tidal flat in Shanghai.

A cultural visit to Nanjing complemented the scientific program, offering students an opportunity to explore the city’s history and culture while considering the longstanding connections between communities and the Yangtze River. The visit also encouraged informal exchange among participants from different cultural and academic backgrounds.

By combining interdisciplinary teaching with field experience, the summer school provided a forum for students to exchange ideas on human impacts along China’s coastline and their implications for coastal management. It also created opportunities for international academic exchange and cross-cultural learning.