On December 10, the First Forum of Belt and Road for Deans of Environment School hosted by Tongji University was grandly opened. The year 2018 is the fifth anniversary since the Initiative of Jointly Building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road has been first put forward by General Secretary Xi Jinping in 2013. On the 5th anniversary, with the support of UNEP and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Tongji University, as the chairman of the Global Universities Partnership on Environment and Sustainability (GUPES), hosted the forum, attracting 52 people from 23 countries along the Belt and Road. The Deans of Environment School came to discuss and jointly explore innovation along the Belt and Road.
Ms. Wang Ying, Vice Director of the Asia, Africa and Latin America Division of the Department of International Cooperation from Ministry of Ecology and Environment, shared China’s experience and achievements in implementing the “Belt and Road” initiative. She pointed out that the convening of this forum is to promote the Belt and Road Initiative, it is also an innovative move in the process of the initiative. The Environmental Schools participating in the conference today are all top schools in the Belt and Road countries. It is hoped that through the establishment of the “Dean Alliance for Environment Schools in Belt and Road Countries”, the resources of universities and local governments can be gathered and integrated to build a practical cooperation in the environmental field.
Mr. Mahesh Pradan, the senior official of the United Nations Environment Program-International Center for Environmental Science and Technology, said that promoting “Belt and Road” has achieved fruitful results and has transformed from concept to practical action. The initiative also played an active role in achieving the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Professor Wu Jiang, Executive Vice President of Tongji University and Chairman of the Global Environment and Sustainable Development University Alliance, pointed out in his speech that Tongji University has always attached great importance to South-South cooperation in the past two decades. In the new era of development, the Belt and Road Initiative has become the focus of cooperation for Tongji university. At the same time, as the Chair University of the Global Environment and Sustainable Development University Alliance, Tongji University has promoted the concept of sustainable development among 833 universities in 105 countries around the world, and has established a wide range of cooperation networks. Under the framework of this global network, the "long-term alliance" can strengthen cooperation, complement resources, and jointly promote environmental and sustainable development. Professor Li Fengting, Vice Dean of the School of Environmental Science and Engineering from Tongji University hosted the opening ceremony.
Subsequently, Mr. Mahesh Pradhan, the senior official of the United Nations Environment Program-International Center for Environmental Science and Technology, gave a more systematic introduction to the Global Environment and Sustainable Development University Alliance and Dean Alliance for Environment Schools in Belt and Road Countries. He also pointed out the Dean Alliance for Environment Schools in Belt and Road Countries is expected to build regional cooperation bridges based on resources from universities and local governments, to promote interdisciplinary academic and research development through joint activities in related fields, to provide strategic guidance in the field of environment and sustainable development, to implement the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and to become an innovation engine for green solutions in the Belt and Road countries. Mr. Mahesh Pradhan also hopes that in the next day and a half, he can further discuss and improve the vision, operation mode, organizational structure and other aspects of the Dean Alliance for Environment Schools in Belt and Road Countries with the participants.
Professor Li Fengting, Vice Dean of the School of Environmental Science and Engineering from Tongji University, who is also on behalf of Dean Dai Xiaohu, gave a keynote report on "China's environmental issues and opportunities in green Belt and Road cooperation". Four major aspects including the China-UNEP-Africa Environmental Cooperation Project" case analysis were shared with the participants. In addition, Professor Rajendra Shrestha, Dean of the School of Environmental Resources and Development from the Asian Institute of Technology, and Professor Geng Yong, Dean of the School of Environmental Science and Engineering from Shanghai Jiaotong University, gave keynote speeches on environmental problems, needs and resources.
In subsequent forum sessions, the following deans gave introductions on environmental problems, needs and resources in different regions: Prof. Sun Yuzhu, Vice Dean of School of Resources and Environmental Engineering from East China University of Science and Technology, Dr. Irina Aristova from St. Petersburg University of Russia, Prof. Cao Wenzhi, Vice Dean of School of Environment and Ecology from Xiamen University, Professor Sun Hongwen, Dean of the School of Environmental Science and Engineering from Nankai University, Professor Lemnur Aragones, Dean of the Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology from University of the Philippines Diliman, Professor Wang Guoxiang, Dean of the School of Environment from Nanjing Normal University, Professor Chen Xiaoyong, Dean of the School of Environmental Sciences from East China Normal University, Professor Ranjit Mahanamo, Dean of the Faculty of Science from University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, Professor Song Xinshan, Dean of the School of Environmental Science and Engineering from Donghua University, Professor Wang Xiangke, Dean of the School of Environmental Science and Engineering from North China Electric Power University, Dr. Duncan Onyango Mbug, Dean of the School of Environmental and Biological Systems Engineering from University of Nairobi, Kenya, and Professor Ye Daiqi, Dean of the School of Environment and Energy from South China University of Technology.
At the same time, Professor Geng Yong, Dean of the School of Environmental Science and Engineering from Shanghai Jiaotong University, Professor Sun Hongwen, Dean of the School of Environmental Science and Engineering from Nankai University, Professor Li Jiansheng, Dean of the School of Environmental and Biological Engineering from Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Professor Zhu Guangcan, Vice Dean of the School of Environment from Southeast University Energy, Professor Wang Guoxiang, Dean of the School of Environment from Nanjing Normal University, and Professor Gu Cheng, Vice Dean of the School of Environment from Nanjing University all gave a one-day parallel academic presentations.
At the closing ceremony of the forum, Tongji University announced the establishment of Dean Alliance for Environment Schools in Belt and Road Countries to provide a strategic and inclusive platform to share sustainable solutions and build a bridge for regional cooperation among the Belt and Road countries. The alliance will focus on three points: scientific research, capacity building, and cooperation, to work with countries around the world to realize the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and to fulfill the public expectation of promoting a sustainable future.
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