On September 11, 2019, Prof. Peter Matt, an Austrian hydropower expert, visited NHRI and made an academic report titled The New Role of Sustainable Hydropower-How to Support the Transition. Prof. LI Yun, NHRI Vice President, hosted the academic meeting, which saw more than 20 attendees of NHRI staff and students.

At the meeting, Prof. Matt introduced the role of hydropower in energy transition in central Europe, the definition, goals and development of sustainable hydropower in the international community, the measures to improve the sustainability of hydropower, and the case study and experience of sustainable hydropower in China and Europe. Then the two sides discussed the role and applicability of the EU Water Framework Directive in sustainable development of hydropower, hydropower flexibility and water-energy-food nexus, river health concept and evaluation, and future cooperation. Prof. Matt expressed his willingness to provide support to China's hydropower sustainable development research.

Before the meeting, Prof. Matt visited NHRI Water Experiment Center, and was impressed with NHRI research platform and experiment environment.