On the morning of May 2nd, Dr. Klaus Töpfer, former U.N. deputy secretary, and executive director f United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), accepted the appointed letter from Tongji president Wan Gang, and was engaged as Tongji “Top Professor for Disciplines of Environment and Sustainable Development”. Supported by Dr. Klaus Töpfer, UNEP set up College of Environment and Sustainable Development in Tongji in My 2002, enforcing environmental talents development and scientific research in Asia-Pacific Area. In March 2006, Bayer decided to set up ‘Sustainable Development Fund’ professorship in the college, supporting Tongji to employ high-level teachers and utilize international resources to provide high-quality education.
As the top professor, Dr. Töpfer will work in Tongji for three to six months, involving in the talents’ development, discipline construction, team construction, research program organization, improving Tongji’s exchange and cooperation between Tongji and international academic field and enterprises.
After the awarding ceremony, Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng met Dr. Töpfer in Hengshan Hotel and extended his congratulations. Accompaniers included Tongji president Wan Gang, vice president Zhao Jianfu and president assistant Dong Qi.
