2013.10.28, Shanghai --The 4th Bayer-Tongji Sustainable Development Forum was successfully held today at Tongji University. Representatives from the private sector, academia and civil society gathered at the Sino-French Center in Tongji University in exploring the potentials of collaborative synergies towards sustainable development.

Mr. Johannes Dietsch, President of Bayer Group in Greater China, extended his warm welcome to all participants, “The complexity of the world in which we live today calls for us to come together, pool our knowhow, and work towards integrated solutions. This is Bayer’s future. This is our future. Collaboration will shape our future in sustainability.”

This year’s forum focused on how to leverage collaborative efforts across sectors and disciplines to inspire novel thinking and bring fresh perspectives for sustainability. Collaboration was not only discussed as a topic, but the forum itself also made use of the collaborative format of interaction.

Designated Bayer-Tongji Sustainable Development Chair Professor ZHOU Jiangping in his keynote speech offered participants the vision beyond current forms of collaboration and encouraged the building up of a community of practice.

Participants, who represented interests and experiences that range from energy efficiency to bionic learning, and the welfare of the aging population, explored the most conducive collaborative styles throughout the day, by working in different permutations of collaborative methodologies and creative processes.

How to leverage current efforts on sustainability for more impact? How can another level of collective action be reached? How to promote sustainable consumption? How to foster an innovation culture in the education system? These issues are heartily discussed among these experts who came from all walks of life. As participants pool their ideas and expertise together, they experienced the power of diversity of thought and collaboration.

Prof. WU Jiang, Vice President of Tongji University, mentioned in his opening speech: “Tongji University, as a pioneer of sustainable green campus, plays an active role in presenting itself as a platform for international cooperation, collaboration and scientific research, especially focus on the sustainable development. Also with the support of Bayer China, Bayer and Tongji University’s cooperation have always been running smoothly in different fields, with the mission of promoting the education, research and cooperation in the area of sustainable development in China.”

Bayer-Tongji Sustainable Development Forum is a platform under the Bayer-Tongji Sustainable Development collaboration that seeks to drive the development and practice of sustainability in China. The forum aims to promote awareness for sustainable development concepts and facilitate multi-sectoral dialogue in hopes of finding integrated solutions for our sustainable future.