CUHK Provost Prof. Alan Chan (left) and Exeter Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Prof. Lisa Roberts (right) renew the partnership for ENSURE.
A new chapter has begun for the CUHK-University of Exeter (Exeter) Joint Centre for Environmental Sustainability and Resilience (ENSURE) as the two universities renewed their partnership and charted new directions for the next five years. The centre will play a leading role in advancing sustainable development through research, education, public engagement, and policy advocacy. A joint PhD student supervision programme will also be established to support the work of ENSURE.
Celebrating the achievements of ENSURE, a symposium on Global Food, Water and Environmental Sustainability was held on 1 June with participation from CUHK researchers and a delegation led by Prof. Lisa Roberts, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Exeter. The delegation was warmly welcomed by Prof. Alan Chan, Provost; Prof. Mai Har Sham, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research); Prof. Chunshan Song, Dean of Science; Prof. Max Tang, Dean of Arts; Prof. Hon Ming Lam, Director of the Institute of Environment, Energy and Sustainability; Prof. Amos Tai, Co-Director of ENSURE; and other representatives of CUHK. Concurrently, a 2-day workshop was held to provide impetus for new collaboration in areas such as human wellbeing, sustainable management of resources, and climate and environmental change.
CUHK’s and Exeter’s researchers learn from each other and explore new collaborative projects.
Speaking at the opening of the symposium, Prof. Mai Har Sham emphasised CUHK’s commitment to achieving excellence with purpose and responsibility. ‘As a socially responsible university, CUHK is committed to the wellbeing of the global community by promoting sustainable development through teaching, research, and engagement that supports the SDGs’, she said. Prof. Roberts echoed Prof. Sham’s view and remarked, ‘Grand challenges faced in the world require global collaboration and it is my great hope that our universities can work together in the coming years to make a meaningful difference in the challenge we all face. In our new Strategic Plan, the University of Exeter is also committed to using the power of education and research to create a sustainable, healthy, and socially just future’.
CUHK and Exeter renew the partnership for ENSURE and chart new directions for the next five years.
ENSURE was established by CUHK and Exeter in 2018 with funding to embark on large, impactful collaborations to address emerging issues related to global environmental change. The centre has so far supported five interdisciplinary projects covering the topics of global food security, coastal ecosystems, air pollution, climate change, and forest management.
(June 2023)
