Mr. Yonghui Song is Vice President of CRAES and Professor in Water Environmental Science and Technology. He received a Ph.D. of Environmental Science from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1999, and a Dr.-Ing. of Environmental Engineering from the University of Karlsruhe (TH) of Germany in 2003; and afterwards he has worked at CRAES.

Since 1992, he has started the research of new materials and processes for water purification, developed novel inorganic polymer flocculants. Since 2000, his research has been extended to the recovery of phosphorus from wastewater streams, expounded the process principles and control strategies. Since 2005, dealing with sudden accidental water pollution has become one of his important research directions, and new processes and materials have been developed for the effective disposals of more than 10 major water pollution accidents in China. Since 2007, he has focused on the comprehensive water pollution control in Liaohe River Basin, established a technological system, and successfully supported the water quality improvement and ecological rehabilitation of the basin. Since 2018, he has organized the joint research of more than 260 institutions as the Vice Director of the National Research Centre for Yangtze River Conservation of China, diagnosed the eco-environmental problems and provided sound technical supports for the Yangtze River basin management.

Dr. Song has been active in international cooperation. He is one of the founding experts of the International Expert Group on Earth System Preservation (IESP), founded in Germany, 2008. He has carried out cooperative research and co-education of postgraduates with institutions of Germany, France, the UK and the USA, etc.

Dr. Song and his team have completed 35 research projects, published more than 450 peer-reviewed journal articles and more than140 conference articles, been granted more than 50 patents, and published more than 30 books. The research results have supported the governance and protection of the main rivers, as well as the decision-making of water environmental management of China.

In 2013, Dr. Song was elected Leading Talent in Science and Technology Innovation of China's National Special Talent Support Program, and Professional Leading Talent for Environmental Protection of China. In 2021, he was elected the member of European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA).