Rising to the challenge of change of global energy sources and climate has become an important factor which affects the world political structure, and all countries are making efforts for it. The Chinese government has promised to greatly lower carbon intensity, actively and responsibly promoting China’s work on reduction of greenhouse gases. From Copenhagen Climate Change Conference to Cancun Climate Change Conference and to Durban Climate Change Conference,China’s efforts are witnessed by the world.

On January 10, 2007, the European Commission issued the report on “European energy policy”, in which there lists a series of international energy policies for preferential development, including energy complementation, and it proposes to preferentially strengthen the relationship with main energy consumption countries such as China, etc.. On November 28, 2007, the 10th China-EU Summit was held inBeijing. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on behalf ofChina, Jose Socrates, Portuguese prime minister and president of the European Council, and Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission attended theSummitand issued a joint declaration. The leaders were unanimous that effective measures should be taken to continuously promote mutually beneficial and pragmatic cooperation in the energy field, and they supported to strengthen cooperation in the respect of clean energy.

From April 24 to 25, 2008, Jose Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, visited China together with nine EU commissioners. During this period, Zhou Ji, minister of the Ministry of Education of the P.R.C., and Chennai Voto Krajisnik, member of EU science& technology commission, signed a letter of intent on project of “China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy”.

On March 30, 2009, Gao Hucheng, deputy minister of the Ministry of Commerce of the P.R.C., and Benita Ferrero-Waldner, member of EU External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy Commission, signed Financial Agreement on Establishment of China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy and its attachment (hereinafter referred to as “Financial Agreement”). “Financial Agreement” defined that the project would be undertaken by a number of first-class European and Chinese universities formed into a team. Establishment of China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy is a significant action where Chinese government cooperates with the EU to actively solve the global energy problem and climate change problem. The agreement expresses high sense of responsibility and mission ofChinaand the EU and adumbrates the general framework of this significant project.

On June 30, 2009, the European Commission issued Guidelines on Tendering for Establishment of China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy (EuropeAid/128796/L/ACT/CN)and its attachment (hereinafter referred to as “Guidelines on Tendering”). “Guideline on Tendering” requires that China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy, which is a non-profit permanent institute, shall be co-established by a number of first-class European and Chinese universities in this field. Within five years, the EU will subsidize € 10 million, Chinese host universities shall equip the institute with first-rate schooling conditions of equivalent value, and China-EU cooperative universities shall jointly equip the institute or raise partial funds for it. After 5 years, this institute shall be in sustainable development by means of the government’s support, enterprises’ sponsor, the universities’ investment, charging for cost tuitions, etc..

With Huazhong University of Science and Technology as Chinese host university and Institut des Sciences et Technologies de Paris as an applicant for the European project, a project team composed of 9 universities and 1 European research institute from 6 countries participated in the bidding for project of China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable

Energy.

The team members include:

China

(1) Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) who is the host

(2) Wuhan University of Technology (WUT)

(3) Southeast University Nanjing

Europe

(4) Institut des Sciences et Technologies de Paris (ParisTech) who is the benericiary, France

(5) National Technical University of Athens, Greece

(6) Zaragoza Universidad, Spain

(7) Northumbria University, UK

(8) Université de Perpignan, France

(9) Università di Roma La Sapienza, Italy

(10) International Office for Water, France

On January 25, 2010, the project team won the bidding. In June, 2010, the team members signedPartnership Agreement on China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy.

On July 1, 2010, Institut des Sciences et Technologies de Paris, on behalf of the cooperative team, signed Contract for Sponsoring the Project of China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy and its attachment with the European Commission, and the project was duly set up.

On May 25, 2011, Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Institut des Sciences et Technologies de Paris signed Chinese- foreign Cooperation Agreement on Running China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy and Rules for Chinese- foreign Cooperation on Running China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy, preparing to duly apply for establishment of China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy.

On March 27, 2012, the Ministry of Education of the P.R.C. duly approved the establishment of China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy.