The Second Dean’s Forum of Environment Schools

The Second Dean’s Forum of Environment Schools 2022 Annual Meeting for Alliance of Environment Deans

To implement the Paris Agreement and achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), developing countries are facing the challenge of balancing infrastructure and economic growth with environmental safeguards. Rapid urbanization development and population increasing, as well as international development initiatives including Belt and Road Initiative need to take environmental challenges into consideration to deliver the 2030 Agenda.

Sustainable development must be based on sound knowledge and solid science, and so higher education and research institutes are indispensable in this process. In 2018, Tongji University initiated the Alliance of Environment Deans and launched the Dean’s Forum of Environment Schools, aiming at forging a joint research network which could provide support and policy recommendations for green development, as well as sharing knowledge, data, and analysis, through South-South Cooperation, including the Belt and Road regions.

Since the inception of Alliance of Environment Deans, 52 deans from 23 countries joined the alliance with fruitful exchange and cooperation activities.

On the third anniversary of the Alliance of Environment Deans, the Second Dean’s Forum of Environment Schools will be held on 2nd June 2022 (online). The Forum will discuss Climate Change and Sustainable Water Systems in major cities of developing countries, to put forward joint research initiatives and launch the Environment Dean's Declaration for a Green Belt and Road Initiative.

Tentative Agenda

Date: June 2, 2022 (Online)

1. Opening Ceremony

2. Keynote Report 1: Connotative development of Higher Education for Sustainable Development (HESD)

3. Keynote Report 2: Emerging environmental challenges and prospect under the carbon neutral target

4. Roundtable Dialogue: Climate change and sustainable water system in major cities of developing countries

5. Closed-door Discussion: Initiative on sustainable water system in major cities of developing countries and addition of new alliance members

6. Closing Ceremony: Joint research initiative on sustainable water systems in major cities of developing countries; Environment Dean's Declaration for a Green Belt and Road Initiative