BJUT's efforts in grooming high-level talents have paid off recently. According to Shanghai Tongji Gao Tingyao Environmental Science & Technology Development Foundation, JI Jiantao, a doctoral student supervised by academician PENG Yongzhen from the Faculty of Environment and Life Sciences at BJUT, won the 2020 Young Doctoral Outstanding Talents Scholarship of the foundation. JI, therefore, became the sixth winner of such honor under the guidance of academician PENG. The scholarship is launched by Shanghai Tongji Gao Tingyao Environmental Science & Technology Development Foundation to reward outstanding doctoral students in environmental protection and related fields in China. This annual award is one of the oldest, most gainful, and most influential student scholarships in the environmental field. In addition, as the results of the first selection of Excellent Doctoral Dissertations in the environment shown by the Chinese Society for Environmental Sciences, the doctoral dissertation "Performance and microbial community analysis of a novel DEAMOX based on partial-denitrification and anammox treating ammonia and nitrate wastewaters" by Du Rui, a doctoral graduate instructed by of academician PENG, was on the list of winners.

JI Jiantao has published 11 papers, including 7 in the Q1 journey of JCR as the first author. He has won the National Scholarship for Doctoral Students, Young Doctoral Outstanding Talents Scholarship of Shanghai Tongji Gao Tingyao Environmental Science & Technology Development Foundation, and BJUT Doctoral Innovation Scholarship.

Du Rui has published more than 30 papers, including 15 in the Q1 journey of JCR as the first author. She has been shortlisted in "National Postdoctoral Program for Innovative Talents" and "Alexander von Humboldt Fellow" of Germany. She also has won the grand prize of ORGANO Water Prize (water quality and water environment) and Young Doctoral Outstanding Talents Scholarship of Shanghai Tongji Gao Tingyao Environmental Science & Technology Development Foundation.