Academic contribution to SDGs
The contribution of the academic community is considered central in developing sustainable solutions. “We together in academia need to act now, not only talk, we need to act now,” said Dr. Aufderheide, whose Foundation annually grants up to 20 climate protection fellowships to prospective leaders and young scholars for research stays in Germany.
As world-renowned champions of scholarly exchanges, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and DAAD have each set climate ambitions for themselves. The Foundation, for instance, has pledged to be carbon-neutral by 2045, and DAAD has adopted the three-pronged approach of reduce, substitute, compensate when it comes to travel.
In the meantime, as Ms. Schimanowski pointed out, “it is important that academic exchange continues to thrive on personal exchange.” As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to disrupt international mobility, virtual meetings enable researchers to explore, inspire and strengthen cross-border collaboration.
The Forum featured three parallel academic sessions, attracting speakers from 15 universities and research institutions in China and Germany, including Zhejiang, Fudan, Tongji, LMU Munich, Technical University of Munich, RWTH Aachen University and Humboldt University of Berlin. Online discussions covered the full spectrum of research and practice, ranging from the impact of climate on natural and urban environments, novel materials for energy conversion, to Sino-German climate policies and the potential for greater cooperation.
On the sidelines of these sessions, messages were popping up in the Zoom Chat Box. One German professor wrote that she wanted to be kept in the loop on future activities and possibilities for cooperation, while another professor already took full advantage of the opportunity by announcing a call for collaborative work.
