UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner (R) and Professor Yang Xianjin (L), 

Nairobi, 29 February 2016 - The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and Tongji University today pledged to continue a rewarding collaboration by extending and updating a 2012 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner and Professor Yang Xianjin, signed the updated MoU in a ceremony at UNEP headquarters in Nairobi. Professor Yang Xianjin was in Nairobi with a delegation of university representatives.

The updated MoU will build on ongoing efforts to develop UNEP-Tongji Institute of Environment for Sustainable Development (IESD) into a globally recognized institute for environmental and sustainable development education and research, and South-South and triangular cooperation. The IESD has so far graduated over 300 students from various programmes, with 70 per cent of those coming from outside of China, and many from developing countries.

The renewed partnership will also advance efforts for the IESD to become a globally recognized center of excellence and think tank for sustainable development. Already, IESD has made significant progress in this field in China, facilitating workshops, issuing reports and textbooks, and establishing laboratories and partnerships that further green programmes in conjunction with the Chinese government.

UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner said, "The IESD represents more than a decade of close collaboration between UNEP and Tongji University and is a centre of sustainable development research. Tongji University has a proud tradition of leading academic research in technology, urbanization, energy and transport. Our unique and longstanding partnership is an opportunity to bring these areas of expertise to bear on UNEP's vision of an inclusive green economy and the 2030 Agenda of sustainable development for all."

Professor Yang Xianjin said, "Research into sustainable development is a priority for Tongji University. Our partnership with UNEP has been long and fruitful and supports these efforts immeasurably. Expanding our partnership is an opportunity to advance sustainable development in China and build on Tongji University's expertise to become a global centre for environmental science research."

Later on, the Xinhua News Agency, China Radio International and China Daily  interviewed Prof. Yang Xianjin. In the interview, Yang said,“The cooperation between Tongji University and UNEP is of great importance to Africa. On the one hand, Tongji embarked on training classes for African mayors last year to share our ideas on city governance. On the other, we have conducted cooperative projects in Africa, such as the pilot water project. In the future, Tongji University and Africa will help each other and seek common development through the cooperation with UNEP.

The delegation led by Yang Xianjin visited the Chinese Embassy in Kenya and had a deep conversation with Ambassador Liu Xianfa, and Deputy Permanent Representative of Ministry of Environmental Protection of  China to UNEP Mr. Liu Ning, and Deputy Permanent Representative of Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of China to UN-Habitat Mr. Li Zhe were present. Ambassador Liu gave warm welcome to the delegation and highly praised the fruitful cooperation between Tongji University and UN organizations. He specifically pointed out that China-Africa cooperation had entered a new era when we shared common destiny with Africa since President Xi attended the Johannesburg Summit of Forum on China-Africa Cooperation last December. Some projects of Tongji in Africa, such as the pilot water project and other environmental projects, were relevant to people’s living and set a good example for China-Africa cooperation. Professor Yang Xianjin said,“ Tongji is willing to implement guidance of President Xi under the new ground, summarizes and enhances current cooperation projects with Africa and seizes new opportunities to establish more comprehensive cooperation in education, training and project-building fields for better South-South Cooperation so as to make more opportunities to the sustainable development around the world.” 

The MoU extends the UNEP-Tongji University partnership to 2020, and also solidifies the IESD's role in the rapidly growing Global Universities Partnership on Environment and Sustainability (GUPES).