During the grand opening of the 3rd ‘Future Leaders on Environment and Sustainable Development Symposium in Asia-Pacific Area ’ jointly sponsored by Tongji and UNEP on September 18th, the ‘International Master’s Degree Symposium of Environmental Management and Sustainable Development’ was officially launched. At the same time, the youth environmental forum in Northeast Asia and the annual conference for the ten years’ development of education sustainable development in Asia-Pacific area was also officially started. President Wan Gang made speeches, Mr, Shi Daren, director of UNEP Asia-Pacific Office, attended and made speeches. The ceremony was hosted by Zhao Jianfu, Tongji vice president and dean of UNESCO-Tongji College of Environmental and Sustainable Development.
The program is an initiative for China in environmental management education. The first fifteen students are mainly from Asia-Pacific Area. All classes will be taught in English, lasting two years, one year in Tongji and the other half or one year in membership universities. The internship will be in UNEP offices in different countries. The teachers are all senior experts and professors from university unions. After the study, students will get diploma and degree certificate awarded by Tongji University, as well as that awarded by UNEP.
According to Vice President Zhao, the program is a practice of ‘UNEP Ten Yeas’ Education Program of Sustainable Development’ in China. Tongji will make full use of its advantage in environmental science and educate non-environmental students. Tongji will also add more classes in ‘Cycling Economy’, ‘Ecological Industry’, to help students get familiar, consolidate and popularize concept of ‘Sustainable Development’.
Together with the fifteen students, 28 future leaders from UNDP, UNESCO, UNEP and 20 countries. They will take symposiums lasted one week in Tongji. Experts and professors will make lectures on current situation and challenges of environment from their perspective field. Students will also go to Li Lake in Wuxi to have on-site inspection.
It is said that over 50 young students from China, Korea, Japan, Mogolia will carry out special discussion on environmental issues like ‘desertification’.
