In the morning of October 9^th, 2009, Professor Ortwin Renn from University of Stuttgart, Germany, gives an academic report with the subject of Risk Governance in Social Perspective: Concept and Basic Requirements to the teachers and students of Beijing Normal University in Room 101 of Art Building. Professor Dong Wenjie, vice director of the State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology (ESPRE) presides over the report meeting. More than 60 teachers and students from the ESPRE lab, Academy of Disaster Reduction and Emergency Management (ADREM), School of Geography and RS Science and School of Resources attend the meeting. In the afternoon of the same day, Professor Renn has a discussion meeting with over 20 teachers and students in Room 507, Art Building, Beijing Normal University.

Professor Renn is mainly engaged in the teaching and research works on environmental sociology and technology assessment. He is a member of the expert panel of “Public Participation in Environmental Assessment and Decision Making” established by the United States National Academy of Sciences, and director of the German National Association of Technology and Engineering. He has been awarded the “Outstanding Publication” by the Environment and Technology Branch of the American Sociological Association for his Book Risk, Uncertainty and Rational Act. Most of his research findings are included in the Book Risk Governance.

Professor Renn first explains the basic concept of risk governance in his report. He points out that, with increase of population density, urbanization, application of new technologies, increasing globalization, increase of uncertainties, and exposure of frangibility of human society, the risks human beings are facing are changeable, therefore the society should focus more and more on the risk governance. Professor Renn then introduces the frame of risk governance, including estimation, assessment, classification and governance of risks. He considers that, government, private sectors (mainly including industries and business circles), academic circles, and folk power should participate in the processes of forecasting, analysis, judgment and governance of risks, thus to form an integrated multi-framework for risk governance. In the end, he points out that, besides government and professionals, interest-related parties who are directly influenced by risks should also participate in the governance process, which can promotes effective solutions to uncertain and vague risks.

During his report, Professor Renn shares part of his research findings with the teachers and students attending the meeting, and discuss with the audience on concept of risk governance, operation and details, and practical situations in China and others. In the discussion meeting held in the afternoon, Professor Renn answers the questions raised by teachers and students on risk cognition, risk modeling, and risk prevention, etc., and provides guidance and suggestions on some ongoing projects.

At the same time, Professor Renn is employed as a visiting professor of Beijing Normal University from October of 2009 to October of 2014. At the banquet on October 10^th, Professor Shi Peijun, executive vice president of BNU issues the letter of engagement to Professor Renn, and both parties reach an agreement on long-term cooperation.