Since 1999, Dr. Zhang has gradually established a multi-disciplinary education system for sustainable built environment , including international cooperative education, sustainable building courses, new speciality setting and student competition practices, etc. :
[1] Hunan University (China)-Concordia University (Canada) cooperative educational programs (including Building Engineering and Civil Engineering)
In 1999，during the period of study in Canada，Dr. Zhang and Professor Fariborz Haghighat from Concordia University initiated the Hunan University-Concordia University cooperation project of Building Engineering.
In 2002, the two schools signed an official agreement about Chinese students joining the department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering of Concordia.Also, Dr. Zhang was in charge of program start-up in China side during 2002 to 2007,effectively driving the program to complete, and till now,the horizons of academic co-operation has been broadened beyond single subject(Building Engineering) to include dual subjects (Building Engineering and Civil Engineering).The program has helped 200 students study in Canada and get a degree.
[2]Interdisciplinary sustainable built environment education system
In 2004, as a project leader , Dr. Zhang was rewarded by the Asia-Link program funding of EU a project entitled “Multidisciplinary Approach to Curriculum Development in Sustainable Built Environment”, together with Professor Per Heiselberg from Aalborg University(Denmark), Professor Maria Koloktroni from Brunel University（UK）and professor N.D.Kaushika from Baharati Vidyapeeth University（India).
As a result of implementation of this project, Dr. Zhang acted as pioneer in carrying out the research and practice of multidisciplinary master and bachelor courses in the field of sustainable built environment :
· published series Text Books “Sustainable Built Environment”
· “Sustainable Built Environment ” has been awarded as the national eleventh five-year plan textbook
· The “Sustainable Built Environment” course is rated as the top quality course in Hunan Province
· Taught 4 undergraduate courses and 3 postgraduate courses in Hunan University
· Develop cultural quality education public elective course” Green Building and Low-Carbon living” in Hunan University and Hunan Normal University
[3] Strategic New Industries related Specialty of Hunan University: Building Energy Saving Technology and Engineering
[4] 2018 international solar decathlon competition Hunan University Team