On April 17, the Launch Meeting of UNESCO IDSSD-Endorsed Initiative & Symposium on Innovative Technologies and International Cooperation in Water and Sanitation, was held at the Staff Auditorium. LYU Zhaoping, President of USTB, GE Siying, Deputy Secretary-General of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, and experts and scholars from universities, research institutions, international organizations, and industry across 16 countries gathered to explore pathways for technological innovation and international cooperation in the field of water and sanitation. The event was chaired by JIAO Shuqiang, Vice President of USTB.
Event Site
In his remarks, LYU Zhaoping noted that the Initiative on Promoting International Cooperation in Innovative Technologies on Water and Sanitation, proposed by USTB, has been officially included in the framework of the International Decade of Sciences for Sustainable Development. He described this as an important step in the University's efforts to serve global sustainable development, and expressed the hope of deepening cooperation with universities, research institutions, and international organizations worldwide to advance technological innovation and application in this field.
Laila Mandi, Member of the African Academy of Sciences, said that water and sanitation are not only technical issues, but also matters of basic human rights and social development. She expressed hope that the workshop would further strengthen scientific collaboration, technology transfer, and capacity building. In a video address, Jack Sim, Founder of the World Toilet Organization, noted that a large proportion of the world's population still lacks access to safe sanitation facilities, and called for more open and pragmatic cooperation to accelerate technological innovation and application for the real improvement of people's lives. PAN Jiantong, Chairman of Beijing BHT Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., and an alumnus of USTB’s environmental engineering program, said that in the face of water scarcity and environmental challenges, the initiative is of great significance, and that enterprises will actively participate in promoting collaborative innovation among industry, academia, and research.
GE Siying said that UNESCO plays an important role in promoting global cooperation in water science. She expressed the hope that the initiative would continue to advance water science development and the transformation of research outcomes under relevant UNESCO frameworks, bringing tangible benefits to people around the world and helping address shared challenges.
Guests Launching the Initiative
Following the ceremony, participating guests jointly launched the initiative and released the Beijing Declaration on Promoting International Cooperation in Innovative Technologies on Water and Sanitation. The declaration identifies strengthened scientific collaboration, technological innovation and application, research outcome transformation, and deeper international cooperation as key pathways toward the goal of ensuring access to safe drinking water and sanitation services for all.
The event also featured an exhibition on USTB's achievements in sustainable campus development, invited reports on water and sanitation, and thematic discussions.
